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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. row — a line
  4. land — a country
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. board — to get on
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. perch — the fish
  11. squash — to crush
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. board — a committee
  14. charge — in control
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. charge — electricity
  17. row — to paddle
  18. land — ground
  19. land — to come down
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. charge — a price
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. perch — for a bird

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