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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: squash · pitcher · bat · staff · can · mate · board · fall

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. can — a tin
  3. squash — to crush
  4. squash — the sport
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. staff — employees
  8. can — a tin
  9. mate — a friend
  10. fall — to drop
  11. can — to be able to
  12. board — a committee
  13. board — to get on
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. mate — to breed
  16. staff — a stick
  17. staff — employees
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bat — the animal
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. mate — a partner
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. fall — the season
  24. squash — the vegetable

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