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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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468
Word bank
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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 get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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. kick — a thrill
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. fine — all right
  5. kick — in football
  6. swing — to play on
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. fork — in a road
  9. track — a path
  10. swing — in golf
  11. fine — high quality
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. snap — to click
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. chip — to eat
  17. chip — for betting
  18. track — a song
  19. board — to get on
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. track — to keep track
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. swing — music
  24. board — a committee

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