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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: band · staff · toast · trunk · row · racket · foot · game

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. staff — employees
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. band — a ring
  8. foot — a measure
  9. band — a music group
  10. staff — a stick
  11. game — a match
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. game — wild animals
  15. row — to paddle
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. toast — bread
  19. row — a line
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. staff — employees
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. trunk — of a tree

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