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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: firm · club · board · field · squash · rush · lean · pitcher

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. field — a subject
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. firm — decided
  5. firm — a company
  6. lean — thin
  7. club — for dancing
  8. rush — hurry
  9. club — a group
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. board — to get on
  12. field — farmland
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. club — for golf
  18. firm — steady
  19. board — a committee
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. field — for sport
  23. squash — the sport
  24. lean — to bend

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