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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. board — to get on
  6. prune — to trim
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. prune — to trim
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. vault — a safe
  15. squash — the sport
  16. board — a committee
  17. stand — to bear
  18. charge — electricity
  19. charge — a price
  20. squash — to crush
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. charge — in control

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