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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: ground · game · field · charge · rush · squash · ruler · board

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. charge — a price
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. ground — the earth
  5. ground — crushed
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. squash — to crush
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. rush — hurry
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. field — a subject
  12. charge — electricity
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. board — to get on
  15. charge — in control
  16. game — wild animals
  17. board — a committee
  18. field — farmland
  19. ground — a position
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. squash — the sport
  22. field — for sport
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — a monarch

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