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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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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: pass · squash · roll · firm · snap · board · band · mug

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. mug — a face
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. pass — a permit
  5. board — a committee
  6. firm — steady
  7. roll — a list
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. band — a music group
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. firm — decided
  13. mug — a cup
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. squash — the sport
  16. squash — to crush
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. firm — a company
  19. mug — to rob
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. band — a ring
  22. roll — a cake
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. snap — to click

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