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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 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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. pop — music
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. bass — low music
  7. pop — to visit
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. bass — the fish
  10. row — to paddle
  11. pop — soda
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. board — to get on
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. plane — a tool
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. row — a line
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. wave — with your hand

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