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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. squash — the sport
  4. mug — a cup
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. root — of a word
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. mug — to rob
  11. root — of a plant
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. plane — a tool
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. root — the cause
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. board — a committee
  20. bark — to shout
  21. board — to get on
  22. mug — a face
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. fan — to cool the air

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