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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: kid · squash · bass · race · mug · fine · leaves · board

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. board — a committee
  3. fine — high quality
  4. squash — to crush
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. race — humankind
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. race — the arms race
  11. kid — child
  12. bass — the fish
  13. mug — to rob
  14. board — to get on
  15. squash — the sport
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. mug — a face
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. bass — low music
  20. kid — to tease
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. race — a contest
  23. mug — a cup
  24. leaves — of a tree

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