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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: suit · squash · wave · row · game · bat · dip · board

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. bat — the animal
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. dip — to sink
  6. game — a match
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. game — wild animals
  10. suit — clothes
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. suit — in cards
  13. squash — to crush
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. board — to get on
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. squash — the sport
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. row — to paddle
  23. suit — to fit
  24. board — a committee

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