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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: spring · pop · chip · snap · can · saw · suit · field

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — to be able to
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. pop — soda
  9. field — farmland
  10. saw — the tool
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. spring — a coil
  13. chip — for betting
  14. snap — to click
  15. suit — in cards
  16. pop — music
  17. can — a tin
  18. suit — clothes
  19. spring — the season
  20. field — a subject
  21. pop — to visit
  22. chip — to eat
  23. field — for sport
  24. suit — to fit

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