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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bass · object · fan · fall · board · scale · kick · bowl

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. fall — the season
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. bass — low music
  10. object — to protest
  11. object — a thing
  12. scale — size or range
  13. object — an aim
  14. bass — the fish
  15. board — to get on
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. kick — in football
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. scale — in music
  21. board — a committee
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. fall — to drop

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