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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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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. prune — to trim
  3. board — a committee
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. chip — for betting
  7. prune — to trim
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. can — a tin
  11. chip — to eat
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. suit — to fit
  14. can — to be able to
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. board — to get on
  18. suit — in cards
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. suit — clothes
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. can — a tin

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