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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. board — a committee
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. mate — a partner
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. deal — to handle
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. mate — a friend
  14. pitch — completely
  15. squash — to crush
  16. board — to get on
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. mate — to breed
  19. bass — the fish
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. shower — rain
  22. bass — low music
  23. shower — to wash
  24. pitch — a sports field

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