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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  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. nail — on a finger
  2. squash — the sport
  3. march — music
  4. march — the month
  5. net — after costs
  6. ground — crushed
  7. object — an aim
  8. march — the month
  9. board — to get on
  10. object — a thing
  11. ground — the earth
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. ground — a position
  16. net — in sport
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. net — for catching
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. board — a committee
  23. object — to protest
  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