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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: stand · board · craft · squash · charge · staff · cell · mug

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. squash — the sport
  3. board — a committee
  4. mug — to rob
  5. staff — employees
  6. charge — in control
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. charge — a price
  9. staff — a stick
  10. cell — a phone
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. craft — boats
  13. craft — a skill
  14. staff — employees
  15. board — to get on
  16. charge — electricity
  17. mug — a cup
  18. cell — in biology
  19. squash — to crush
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. mug — a face
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. stand — to bear

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