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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'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. board — a committee
  3. kick — in football
  4. squash — to crush
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. staff — employees
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. bound — tied together
  9. game — a match
  10. staff — employees
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. bound — obliged
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. game — wild animals
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. pound — a weight
  20. staff — a stick
  21. rock — music
  22. bound — certain
  23. board — to get on
  24. rock — a stone

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