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

Word bank: band · pit · object · wave · toast · race

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. band — a music group
  6. object — a thing
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. pit — in a race
  9. race — a contest
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. toast — bread
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. band — a ring
  14. race — the arms race
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. pit — a hole
  17. object — an aim
  18. race — humankind

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