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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  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. coach — a trainer
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. chip — for betting
  6. chip — to eat
  7. rush — hurry
  8. board — a committee
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. spring — a coil
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. spring — the season
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. snap — to click
  15. spring — of water
  16. rash — hasty
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. board — to get on
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. rash — a series
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. pound — a weight
  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