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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 · board · wave · cap · band · ball · ground · arm

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. cap — a hat
  4. roll — a cake
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. band — a music group
  8. ground — the earth
  9. board — a committee
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. roll — a list
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. band — a ring
  15. cap — of ice
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. ground — crushed
  19. board — to get on
  20. cap — a lid
  21. ball — a great time
  22. ball — a dance
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. ground — a position

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