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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. board — to get on
  5. march — the month
  6. march — the month
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. squash — to crush
  11. march — music
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. squash — the sport
  16. board — a committee
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. bear — the animal
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. rush — hurry
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. bear — the animal

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