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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 116 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: lash · cold · board · press · chip · snap · degree · racket

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. press — to push
  3. chip — for betting
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. cold — an illness
  7. press — newspapers
  8. board — to get on
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. degree — from a university
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. degree — an amount
  15. cold — not warm
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. degree — temperature
  18. press — a publisher
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. chip — to eat
  22. board — a committee
  23. snap — to click
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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