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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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468
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 · deal · snap · plane · object · game · ball · squash

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. squash — the sport
  3. ball — a dance
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. object — to protest
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. toast — bread
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. snap — to click
  12. game — a match
  13. object — a thing
  14. squash — to crush
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. object — an aim
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. ball — a great time
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. deal — to handle
  24. plane — a tool

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