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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. chip — to eat
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. kick — in football
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. hand — help
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. wind — moving air
  12. board — to get on
  13. chip — for betting
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. board — a committee
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. wind — moving air
  19. pound — a weight
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. snap — to click
  22. hand — in cards
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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