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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. track — a song
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. board — to get on
  7. track — to keep track
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. present — the time now
  11. cell — in biology
  12. board — a committee
  13. snap — to click
  14. wake — a trail
  15. cell — a phone
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. present — a gift
  19. present — there
  20. pop — soda
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. track — a path
  23. pop — music
  24. wake — before a funeral

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