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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: mine · band · fork · toast · perch · object · date · chip

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  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. toast — the most admired
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. fork — in a road
  4. chip — to eat
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. object — an aim
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. object — to protest
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. toast — bread
  13. date — the fruit
  14. mine — for digging
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. band — a music group
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. object — a thing
  20. perch — the fish
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. chip — for betting
  23. band — a ring
  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