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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: roll · fan · present · calf · bass · pit · deal · board

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. roll — a list
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. present — a gift
  7. bass — low music
  8. present — there
  9. board — a committee
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. board — to get on
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. deal — to handle
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. pit — in a race
  16. present — the time now
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. pit — a hole
  21. roll — a cake
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. bass — the fish

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