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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: ruler · pop · deal · march · chip · snap · hand · racket

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. hand — in cards
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. pop — soda
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. march — music
  9. march — the month
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. deal — to handle
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. chip — for betting
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. chip — to eat
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. march — the month
  21. hand — help
  22. pop — music
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. snap — to click

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