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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.

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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: mark · ground · band · fan · mine · board · game · bay

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. mark — a grade
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. ground — crushed
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. band — a music group
  9. ground — a position
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. game — wild animals
  13. mark — a trace
  14. ground — the earth
  15. mine — for digging
  16. game — a match
  17. band — a ring
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. board — a committee

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