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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 116 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: board · squash · kid · ground · branch · safe · pit · stand

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. squash — to crush
  4. pit — in a race
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. board — to get on
  9. stand — to bear
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. ground — the earth
  15. kid — child
  16. pit — a hole
  17. branch — a division
  18. board — a committee
  19. ground — a position
  20. squash — the sport
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. kid — to tease
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. board — a flat piece

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