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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 120 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: ground · wave · can · cap · spring · board · track · cabinet

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. board — to get on
  5. can — to be able to
  6. board — a committee
  7. track — a song
  8. ground — crushed
  9. cap — of ice
  10. cap — a hat
  11. track — to keep track
  12. spring — the season
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. track — a path
  15. ground — the earth
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. can — a tin
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. spring — of water
  21. spring — a coil
  22. cap — a lid
  23. can — a tin
  24. board — a flat piece

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