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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 120 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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. pit — a hole
  6. band — a ring
  7. pound — a weight
  8. wind — moving air
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. board — to get on
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. pit — in a race
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. squash — the sport
  18. band — a music group
  19. wind — moving air
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. board — a committee
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. board — a flat piece

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