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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. drill — the tool
  4. last — finally
  5. hand — help
  6. board — a committee
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. last — final
  9. scale — size or range
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. board — to get on
  12. last — to go on
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. drill — a practice
  15. bank — for money
  16. squash — the sport
  17. bank — for money
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. bank — of a river
  20. drill — army training
  21. squash — to crush
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. scale — in music
  24. hand — in cards

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