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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: fine · board · squash · rush · arm · pit · cap · pop

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. cap — a lid
  4. fine — high quality
  5. pit — in a race
  6. pit — a hole
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. board — a committee
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. rush — hurry
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. cap — of ice
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. squash — the sport
  17. pop — to visit
  18. pop — soda
  19. board — to get on
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. pop — music
  22. squash — to crush
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. fine — all right

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