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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: toast · kick · band · rock · sharp · hand · ball · bore

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. ball — a dance
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. kick — in football
  7. toast — bread
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. band — a ring
  11. bore — to tire
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. band — a music group
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. hand — in cards
  17. hand — help
  18. bore — to drill
  19. rock — a stone
  20. ball — a great time
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. sharp — clever
  24. toast — the most admired

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