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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: game · plane · bear · band · pop · toast · chip · racket

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. band — a ring
  3. pop — music
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. band — a music group
  7. chip — for betting
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. pop — to visit
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. pop — soda
  13. bear — the animal
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. game — wild animals
  17. plane — a tool
  18. bear — the animal
  19. game — a match
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. chip — to eat
  24. toast — bread

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