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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: board · snap · spring · nail · field · chip · bowl · pop

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  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. bowl — a football final
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. chip — for betting
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. snap — to click
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. field — farmland
  11. pop — soda
  12. pop — music
  13. board — to get on
  14. field — a subject
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. chip — to eat
  18. spring — of water
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. pop — to visit
  21. spring — a coil
  22. spring — the season
  23. field — for sport
  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