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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. board — to get on
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. band — a music group
  8. chip — to eat
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. chip — for betting
  11. band — a ring
  12. spring — of water
  13. board — a committee
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. spring — the season
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. mate — a partner
  20. spring — a coil
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. mate — a friend
  24. snap — to click

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