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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 120 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: chip · pop · rock · snap · key · degree · board · march

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. board — a committee
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. key — for a lock
  6. degree — temperature
  7. pop — music
  8. pop — soda
  9. rock — a stone
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. degree — from a university
  13. rock — music
  14. degree — an amount
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. pop — to visit
  17. march — music
  18. snap — to click
  19. march — the month
  20. chip — for betting
  21. march — the month
  22. key — in music
  23. chip — to eat
  24. key — the most important part

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