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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.

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: track · capital · bowl · chip · board · march · fan · plane

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. board — a committee
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. plane — a tool
  6. track — to keep track
  7. capital — a city
  8. march — the month
  9. track — a song
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. capital — money
  12. chip — to eat
  13. chip — for betting
  14. march — the month
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. track — a path
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. march — music
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. board — to get on

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