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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. pop — music
  4. chip — for betting
  5. board — to get on
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. band — a ring
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. board — a committee
  10. chip — to eat
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. content — the amount
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. object — to protest
  17. pop — to visit
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. band — a music group
  20. content — happy
  21. pop — soda
  22. object — an aim
  23. toast — bread
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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