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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: game · toast · saw · pound · perch · can · board · band

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. toast — bread
  4. saw — the tool
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. band — a ring
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. band — a music group
  9. pound — a weight
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. can — to be able to
  12. perch — the fish
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. can — a tin
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. game — a match
  17. can — a tin
  18. board — to get on
  19. board — a committee
  20. game — wild animals
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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