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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: root · board · last · bowl · pitcher · hide · bulb · squash

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. root — the cause
  6. squash — to crush
  7. last — final
  8. bulb — for light
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. squash — the sport
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. root — of a plant
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. root — of a word
  19. board — a committee
  20. bulb — for light
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. last — finally
  23. board — to get on
  24. last — to go 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