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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. track — to keep track
  4. track — a path
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. band — a music group
  8. game — a match
  9. toast — bread
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. board — a committee
  13. wake — a trail
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. band — a ring
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. board — to get on
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. game — wild animals
  22. foot — a measure
  23. date — the fruit
  24. track — a song

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