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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: stick · straw · board · charge · spell · squash · scale · bulb

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. board — to get on
  5. scale — in music
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. charge — in control
  11. squash — to crush
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. spell — a short time
  14. board — a committee
  15. spell — magic
  16. spell — letters
  17. charge — electricity
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. bulb — for light
  20. scale — size or range
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. squash — the sport
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. charge — a price

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