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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 116 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 have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. track — a song
  3. tube — a container
  4. mate — a partner
  5. mate — to breed
  6. board — a committee
  7. stem — to come from
  8. suit — clothes
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. court — of law
  12. tube — the underground
  13. suit — to fit
  14. court — for sport
  15. track — a path
  16. suit — in cards
  17. board — to get on
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. track — to keep track
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. court — of a king
  23. mate — a friend
  24. snap — to click

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