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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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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: wave · trunk · racket · pass · pound · chip · toast · content

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. chip — to eat
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. content — happy
  7. toast — bread
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. content — the amount
  22. chip — for betting
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. pass — a permit

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