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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 116 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: fall · present · last · board · fan · field · bass · bank

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. field — a subject
  3. last — final
  4. bank — for money
  5. present — a gift
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. present — there
  8. bank — of a river
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — the season
  13. board — to get on
  14. field — farmland
  15. last — finally
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bank — for money
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. board — a committee
  21. present — the time now
  22. bass — low music
  23. field — for sport
  24. last — to go on

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