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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: squash · board · pass · pitcher · lean · foot · pound · chest

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. squash — to crush
  3. chest — of your body
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. lean — thin
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. foot — a measure
  8. chest — a box
  9. board — to get on
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. lean — to bend
  12. squash — the sport
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. pound — a weight
  16. pass — a permit
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. chest — of your body

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