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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 116 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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. board — a committee
  3. squash — the sport
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. rule — a law
  7. squash — to crush
  8. swing — to play on
  9. board — to get on
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. game — a match
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. rule — government
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. swing — in golf
  19. lean — to bend
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. game — wild animals
  22. swing — music
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. squash — the vegetable

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