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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: foot · toast · dip · nail · bowl · kick · object · game

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. game — a match
  6. foot — a measure
  7. dip — to sink
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. object — to protest
  17. object — an aim
  18. object — a thing
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. kick — in football
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. toast — bread

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