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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. snap — to click
  3. staff — a stick
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. suit — clothes
  7. staff — employees
  8. cell — in biology
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. chip — to eat
  11. cell — a phone
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. court — of law
  14. drill — a practice
  15. court — of a king
  16. court — for sport
  17. chip — for betting
  18. drill — army training
  19. staff — employees
  20. suit — to fit
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. suit — in cards
  23. board — a committee
  24. board — to get 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