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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. board — a committee
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. land — a country
  6. land — to come down
  7. stem — to come from
  8. stand — to bear
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. wax — to grow
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. squash — to crush
  15. scale — in music
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. squash — the sport
  20. board — to get on
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. scale — size or range
  24. land — ground

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com