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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. net — after costs
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. cap — of ice
  7. rock — music
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. rock — a stone
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. net — in sport
  12. rush — hurry
  13. board — a committee
  14. net — for catching
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. cap — a hat
  17. cap — a lid
  18. ball — a dance
  19. ball — a great time
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. board — to get on
  22. squash — the sport
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. squash — to crush

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