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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: pit · stick · snap · shower · board · trunk · key · ball

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. snap — to click
  3. board — to get on
  4. shower — to wash
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. ball — a great time
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. pit — in a race
  10. shower — rain
  11. key — in music
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. board — a committee
  14. pit — a hole
  15. key — for a lock
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. key — the most important part
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. ball — a dance

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