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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: bowl · stem · fan · bear · can · cabinet · court · board

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. court — of law
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. court — of a king
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. can — to be able to
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bear — the animal
  15. court — for sport
  16. can — a tin
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. board — to get on
  20. can — a tin
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. bear — the animal
  23. stem — to come from
  24. board — a committee

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