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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: cold · wave · bowl · drill · net · racket · board · can

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  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 — to get on
  2. cold — an illness
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. drill — the tool
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. net — for catching
  10. drill — a practice
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. net — in sport
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. can — a tin
  18. cold — not warm
  19. can — to be able to
  20. board — a committee
  21. net — after costs
  22. drill — army training
  23. can — a tin
  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