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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: squash · saw · pop · board · racket · stick · face · cap

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. board — to get on
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. board — a committee
  5. pop — music
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. face — part of the head
  9. pop — soda
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. saw — the tool
  13. cap — a lid
  14. pop — to visit
  15. squash — to crush
  16. cap — a hat
  17. cap — of ice
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. face — to point toward
  22. face — to confront
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. squash — the sport

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