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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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. board — a committee
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. board — to get on
  11. snap — to click
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. pound — a weight
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. craft — a skill
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. craft — boats
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. mouse — for a computer

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