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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: bowl · racket · hand · snap · mug · board · mark · toast

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. mug — to rob
  8. mug — a face
  9. mark — a trace
  10. board — a committee
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. hand — in cards
  14. mug — a cup
  15. board — to get on
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. toast — bread
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. hand — help
  22. snap — to click
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. mark — a grade

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