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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 120 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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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. stock — a soup base
  3. board — a committee
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. snap — to click
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. land — to come down
  8. fine — all right
  9. land — ground
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. bear — the animal
  12. swing — in golf
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. swing — music
  15. bear — the animal
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. land — a country
  19. board — to get on
  20. swing — to play on
  21. stock — shares
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. fine — high quality
  24. stock — goods

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