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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: racket · squash · mate · cabinet · bulb · straw · board · wake

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. board — a committee
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. squash — the sport
  9. mate — a partner
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. board — to get on
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. mate — a friend
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. mate — to breed
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — for light
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. squash — to crush
  24. wake — a trail

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