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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. ground — the earth
  5. ground — crushed
  6. squash — to crush
  7. squash — the sport
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. board — to get on
  10. scale — in music
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. sharp — clever
  13. suit — to fit
  14. ground — a position
  15. scale — size or range
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. suit — in cards
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. snap — to click
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. suit — clothes
  24. board — a committee

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