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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: board · perch · bound · roll · dip · cell · squash · bay

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. dip — to sink
  3. cell — in biology
  4. bound — tied together
  5. cell — a phone
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. board — to get on
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. bound — obliged
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. bound — certain
  13. squash — to crush
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. perch — the fish
  17. roll — a cake
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. squash — the sport
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. roll — a list
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. board — a flat piece

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