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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: snap · racket · chip · leaves · fan · toast · jam · pound

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. chip — for betting
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. pound — a weight
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. snap — to click
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. toast — bread
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. chip — to eat
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. fan — a supporter

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