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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. board — a committee
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. suit — clothes
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. deal — to handle
  8. squash — to crush
  9. field — a subject
  10. chair — a leader
  11. mark — a trace
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. suit — to fit
  16. field — for sport
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. board — to get on
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. squash — the sport
  22. suit — in cards
  23. mark — a grade
  24. field — farmland

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