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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: mug · plane · roll · row · toast · mine · season · board

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. roll — a cake
  3. mug — to rob
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. mine — for digging
  7. roll — a list
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. season — in sport
  11. season — of the year
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. board — to get on
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. row — a line
  16. plane — a tool
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. mug — a cup
  19. row — to paddle
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. board — a committee
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. mug — a face
  24. board — a flat piece

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