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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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. firm — decided
  3. game — a match
  4. current — of water
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. bank — for money
  7. row — a line
  8. current — happening now
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. squash — the sport
  12. game — wild animals
  13. board — a committee
  14. bank — of a river
  15. bank — for money
  16. firm — a company
  17. current — electric
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. firm — steady
  20. dip — to sink
  21. board — to get on
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. row — to paddle
  24. squash — the vegetable

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