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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. cold — not warm
  3. cold — an illness
  4. squash — the sport
  5. board — to get on
  6. drill — army training
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. squash — to crush
  9. pop — to visit
  10. pop — music
  11. capital — money
  12. drill — the tool
  13. pitch — completely
  14. capital — a city
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. board — a committee
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. pop — soda
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. board — a flat piece

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