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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 · suit · hand · land · stick · net · board

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  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. stick — a piece of wood
  2. board — to get on
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. squash — to crush
  5. suit — clothes
  6. hand — help
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. hand — in cards
  9. board — a committee
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. pass — a permit
  12. land — a country
  13. net — for catching
  14. land — ground
  15. net — in sport
  16. suit — to fit
  17. suit — in cards
  18. net — after costs
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. land — to come down
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. hand — part of the body
  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