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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. scale — size or range
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. bore — to drill
  5. season — in sport
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. fine — high quality
  8. board — a committee
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. board — to get on
  13. fine — all right
  14. track — a song
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. track — to keep track
  18. season — of the year
  19. wake — a trail
  20. squash — the sport
  21. scale — in music
  22. squash — to crush
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. track — a path

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