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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: game · tube · board · stick · rush · jam · bowl · snap

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. game — wild animals
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. snap — to click
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. board — a committee
  9. game — a match
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. rush — hurry
  14. tube — a container
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. tube — the underground
  24. board — to get on

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