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

Word bank: fall · key · cap · squash · bowl · board · ball · stem

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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. stem — of a plant
  4. key — the most important part
  5. board — to get on
  6. fall — to drop
  7. stem — to come from
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. squash — the sport
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. key — in music
  12. key — for a lock
  13. ball — a great time
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. squash — to crush
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. cap — a hat
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. ball — a dance
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — the season
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. cap — of ice
  24. board — a committee

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