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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. chair — a leader
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. rock — a stone
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. can — a tin
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. can — to be able to
  12. bat — the animal
  13. firm — steady
  14. fork — in a road
  15. snap — to click
  16. can — a tin
  17. board — a committee
  18. firm — a company
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. firm — decided
  22. board — to get on
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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