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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: board · track · toast · roll · chip · stick · stand · band

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. track — to keep track
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. chip — for betting
  5. band — a music group
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. board — to get on
  9. board — a committee
  10. band — a ring
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. stand — to bear
  15. chip — to eat
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. track — a song
  20. roll — a cake
  21. toast — bread
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. track — a path
  24. roll — a list

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