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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: snap · racket · mouse · board · hide · cabinet · track · march

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. board — to get on
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. board — a committee
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. track — a path
  9. march — the month
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. track — to keep track
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. march — the month
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. track — a song
  19. snap — to click
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. march — music
  24. racket — a loud noise

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