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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: toast · board · cap · foot · band · stick · wave · chip

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. band — a ring
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. cap — a lid
  8. chip — for betting
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. toast — bread
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. foot — a measure
  13. chip — to eat
  14. cap — a hat
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. cap — of ice
  19. band — a music group
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. board — to get on
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. board — a committee

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