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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. bound — tied together
  3. board — to get on
  4. foot — a measure
  5. can — a tin
  6. chip — to eat
  7. degree — temperature
  8. can — to be able to
  9. race — a contest
  10. race — humankind
  11. race — the arms race
  12. can — a tin
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. chip — for betting
  15. degree — from a university
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. bound — certain
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. toast — bread
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. bound — obliged
  22. degree — an amount
  23. board — a committee
  24. foot — the bottom

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