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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bass · dip · fan · season · wake · bound · capital · board

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. bass — low music
  3. bound — obliged
  4. wake — a trail
  5. board — to get on
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. dip — to sink
  10. capital — money
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. capital — a city
  14. season — of the year
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bass — the fish
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. bound — certain
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. season — in sport

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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