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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: rash · squash · pitcher · bowl · roll · stem · board · mine

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. rash — a series
  3. board — to get on
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. roll — a list
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. board — a committee
  9. squash — the sport
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. squash — to crush
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. rash — hasty
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. stem — to come from
  23. roll — a cake
  24. stem — of a plant

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