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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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. board — a committee
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. land — to come down
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. squash — the sport
  7. board — to get on
  8. land — a country
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. wind — moving air
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. land — ground
  18. stand — to bear
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. squash — to crush
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. stand — for spectators

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