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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: board · bowl · fan · swing · deal · chair · march · wave

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. board — a committee
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. march — music
  10. swing — music
  11. march — the month
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. swing — in golf
  14. chair — a leader
  15. swing — to play on
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. board — to get on
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. deal — to handle
  24. march — the month

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