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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. land — a country
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. track — a path
  6. board — to get on
  7. ball — a great time
  8. track — to keep track
  9. ball — a dance
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. land — ground
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. track — a song
  17. snap — to click
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. dip — to sink
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. land — to come down
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. board — a flat piece

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