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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. object — to protest
  3. suit — clothes
  4. suit — to fit
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. drill — the tool
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. ground — crushed
  9. drill — army training
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. chip — to eat
  12. object — an aim
  13. drill — a practice
  14. object — a thing
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. ground — the earth
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. ground — a position
  19. row — a line
  20. row — to paddle
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. chip — for betting
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. suit — in cards

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