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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 · present · cap · pop · cabinet · board · wake · game

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. cap — a hat
  3. board — to get on
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. present — a gift
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. pop — music
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. game — a match
  11. present — there
  12. game — wild animals
  13. wake — a trail
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. cap — a lid
  16. toast — bread
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. pop — to visit
  19. pop — soda
  20. cap — of ice
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. board — a committee
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. present — the time now

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