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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: wound · stick · mug · ball · stand · squash · board · bay

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. board — a committee
  3. squash — the sport
  4. wound — an injury
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. ball — a dance
  8. mug — a face
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. mug — a cup
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. ball — a great time
  18. mug — to rob
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. board — to get on
  21. squash — to crush
  22. stand — to bear
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. ball — a round shape

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