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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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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: pit · squash · staff · deal · rule · row · rest · board

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. squash — to crush
  3. board — a committee
  4. rule — government
  5. rest — a break
  6. pit — a hole
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. rest — what's left
  9. row — to paddle
  10. staff — employees
  11. pit — in a race
  12. staff — a stick
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. row — a line
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. staff — employees
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. deal — to handle
  23. board — to get on
  24. rule — a law

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