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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. object — a thing
  4. object — an aim
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. object — to protest
  8. pop — music
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. board — a committee
  13. squash — to crush
  14. pop — soda
  15. dip — to sink
  16. snap — to click
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. squash — the sport
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. board — to get on
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. toast — bread
  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