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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. march — the month
  3. season — of the year
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. board — a committee
  6. board — to get on
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. tube — a container
  9. squash — the sport
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. season — in sport
  13. hand — in cards
  14. march — the month
  15. march — music
  16. hand — help
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. tube — the underground
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. vault — a safe
  23. squash — to crush
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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