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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. board — a committee
  3. rock — music
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. track — to keep track
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. chip — for betting
  11. track — a path
  12. track — a song
  13. rock — a stone
  14. chip — to eat
  15. snap — to click
  16. board — to get on
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. pitcher — a jug

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