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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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. capital — money
  3. roll — a list
  4. track — to keep track
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. snap — to click
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. field — for sport
  11. track — a path
  12. field — a subject
  13. lean — to bend
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. field — farmland
  16. track — a song
  17. board — to get on
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. lean — thin
  20. roll — a cake
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. capital — a city
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. board — a committee

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