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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. spell — letters
  3. spell — a short time
  4. pop — soda
  5. squash — the sport
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. board — to get on
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. squash — to crush
  10. pop — to visit
  11. kick — in football
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. spell — magic
  14. kid — to tease
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. board — a committee
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. kid — child
  24. pop — music

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