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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
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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: nail · spell · land · perch · mug · board · march · squash

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. spell — a short time
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. spell — magic
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — the fish
  10. mug — a cup
  11. land — to come down
  12. land — ground
  13. march — the month
  14. mug — a face
  15. squash — to crush
  16. march — music
  17. board — a committee
  18. spell — letters
  19. march — the month
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. squash — the sport
  22. mug — to rob
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. board — to get on

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