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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: board · track · chip · dip · snap · fan · last · band

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. track — a path
  3. last — final
  4. chip — for betting
  5. board — to get on
  6. chip — to eat
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. snap — to click
  12. track — to keep track
  13. last — to go on
  14. dip — to sink
  15. band — a ring
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. board — a committee
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. last — finally
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. track — a song
  24. dip — to dunk

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