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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: hide · wave · band · toast · degree · game · bowl · board

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. degree — an amount
  3. degree — temperature
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. band — a music group
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. degree — from a university
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. game — a match
  16. board — a committee
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. toast — bread
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. board — to get on
  23. game — wild animals
  24. hide — to keep secret

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