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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. net — for catching
  3. can — a tin
  4. pop — soda
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. fine — all right
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. snap — to click
  9. board — a committee
  10. net — in sport
  11. net — after costs
  12. march — the month
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. pop — music
  15. can — a tin
  16. march — the month
  17. fine — high quality
  18. march — music
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. can — to be able to
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. pop — to visit
  24. fine — a penalty

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