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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.

Make a worksheet

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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pitcher · board · squash · march · object · snap

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. march — the month
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. board — to get on
  6. board — a committee
  7. object — a thing
  8. march — music
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. march — the month
  12. squash — to crush
  13. object — to protest
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. snap — to click
  17. object — an aim
  18. pitcher — a jug

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