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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 116 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 · track · wave · stem · squash · racket · stick · chip

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. squash — the sport
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. chip — to eat
  9. track — a song
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. snap — to click
  12. stem — to come from
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. squash — to crush
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. chip — for betting
  22. track — a path
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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