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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: season · rest · club · wave · fan · pitch · plane · board

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. season — of the year
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. season — in sport
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. club — a group
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. rest — what's left
  12. pitch — completely
  13. board — to get on
  14. rest — a break
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. rest — what's left
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. board — a committee
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. club — for dancing
  23. club — for golf
  24. plane — a tool

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