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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: ruler · net · bear · wake · squash · board · ground · mug

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. net — in sport
  3. squash — to crush
  4. bear — the animal
  5. ground — crushed
  6. board — a committee
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. wake — a trail
  9. squash — the sport
  10. net — for catching
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. board — to get on
  16. mug — a cup
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. bear — the animal
  20. ground — a position
  21. net — after costs
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ground — the earth
  24. mug — to rob

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