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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  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. squash — the vegetable
  2. cap — a lid
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. wound — an injury
  5. cap — of ice
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. board — a committee
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. cap — a hat
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. stem — to come from
  13. foot — a measure
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. pit — a hole
  17. wound — an injury
  18. board — to get on
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. squash — the sport
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. pit — in a race
  23. board — a flat piece
  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