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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. board — to get on
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. squash — the sport
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. current — electric
  7. current — happening now
  8. pitch — completely
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. board — a committee
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. current — of water
  14. row — to paddle
  15. mine — for digging
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. last — final
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. row — a line
  21. last — finally
  22. squash — to crush
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. last — to go on

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