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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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. jam — to spread on bread
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. suit — in cards
  5. key — for a lock
  6. snap — to click
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — to be able to
  9. key — the most important part
  10. board — to get on
  11. mark — a grade
  12. row — to paddle
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. board — a committee
  15. row — a line
  16. suit — clothes
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. key — in music
  19. mark — a trace
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. can — a tin
  22. suit — to fit
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. jam — in traffic

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