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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: firm · fine · season · fork · board · wind · bowl · pop

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. board — to get on
  3. pop — music
  4. wind — moving air
  5. firm — steady
  6. season — in sport
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. pop — soda
  10. fine — high quality
  11. fork — in a road
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. board — a committee
  17. firm — a company
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. pop — to visit
  20. season — of the year
  21. wind — moving air
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. fine — all right
  24. bowl — a dish

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