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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: board · squash · bear · pound · rock · toast · track · mine

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. board — to get on
  3. track — a path
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. rock — music
  7. track — a song
  8. board — a committee
  9. squash — to crush
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. pound — a weight
  12. mine — for digging
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. rock — a stone
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. toast — bread
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. track — to keep track
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. squash — the sport

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