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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.

Make a worksheet

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
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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: bowl · chair · racket · pound · fan · pitcher · board · land

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. board — to get on
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. pound — a weight
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. land — a country
  11. land — to come down
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. chair — a leader
  17. land — ground
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. pound — for dogs

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