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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  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. board — a committee
  2. mate — to breed
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. bass — the fish
  7. fine — all right
  8. season — of the year
  9. fine — high quality
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. mate — a friend
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bass — low music
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. tube — the underground
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. board — to get on
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. tube — a container
  22. mate — a partner
  23. season — in sport
  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