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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: board · fan · stem · snap · chip · leaves · kick · club

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. board — a committee
  3. chip — to eat
  4. snap — to click
  5. club — a group
  6. board — to get on
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. chip — for betting
  10. stem — to come from
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. kick — in football
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. club — for golf

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