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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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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: squash · stick · jam · board · snap · bear · key · can

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. squash — the sport
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. key — the most important part
  5. key — for a lock
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. board — to get on
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. bear — the animal
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. can — a tin
  13. bear — the animal
  14. squash — to crush
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. key — in music
  19. board — a committee
  20. can — a tin
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. snap — to click
  24. can — to be able to

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