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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.

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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: snap · bowl · chair · land · board · mark · tube · mouse

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. mark — a trace
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. land — to come down
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. board — to get on
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. land — ground
  13. chair — a leader
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. board — a committee
  17. snap — to click
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. tube — the underground
  21. land — a country
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. tube — a container
  24. mark — a grade

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