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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. board — a committee
  6. mark — a grade
  7. pop — soda
  8. mark — a trace
  9. snap — to click
  10. root — the cause
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. root — of a word
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. pop — to visit
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. root — of a plant
  23. board — to get on
  24. pop — music

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