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

Word bank: snap · club · wake · foot · leaves · bowl · march · jam

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. club — a group
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. foot — a measure
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. march — the month
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. snap — to click
  16. march — music
  17. club — for golf
  18. wake — a trail
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. march — the month
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. foot — the bottom

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