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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: row · jam · game · foot · chip · toast

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. foot — a measure
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. game — wild animals
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. chip — to eat
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. row — a line
  12. game — a match
  13. row — to paddle
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. chip — for betting
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. jam — a tight spot

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