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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: bowl · board · snap · mug · foot · toast · content · band

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. mug — to rob
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. snap — to click
  8. toast — bread
  9. band — a ring
  10. foot — a measure
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. mug — a cup
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. mug — a face
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. band — a music group
  17. content — the amount
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. content — happy
  20. board — to get on
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. board — a committee
  24. bowl — a dish

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