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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 124 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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. drill — the tool
  3. board — a committee
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. rest — a break
  8. board — to get on
  9. cap — a hat
  10. rest — what's left
  11. drill — army training
  12. squash — to crush
  13. cap — a lid
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. rest — what's left
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. squash — the sport
  18. cap — of ice
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. dip — to sink
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. drill — a practice
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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