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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: snap · chip · board · can · pound · game · court · toast

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. can — to be able to
  3. can — a tin
  4. court — of a king
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. snap — to click
  8. toast — bread
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. pound — a weight
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. board — a committee
  13. chip — to eat
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. chip — for betting
  18. board — to get on
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. court — for sport
  22. game — wild animals
  23. can — a tin
  24. court — of law

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