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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 · staff · roll · rule · mug · board · bulb · field

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. board — to get on
  4. staff — employees
  5. bulb — for light
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. field — farmland
  8. rule — a law
  9. field — a subject
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. squash — to crush
  13. mug — to rob
  14. squash — the sport
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — a stick
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. bulb — for light
  19. mug — a face
  20. mug — a cup
  21. field — for sport
  22. rule — government
  23. board — a committee
  24. roll — a cake

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