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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
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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 · can · bowl · fan · tear · mine · chip · bank

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. can — a tin
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. chip — for betting
  7. board — a committee
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. bank — for money
  10. can — to be able to
  11. tear — from crying
  12. chip — to eat
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. can — a tin
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. board — to get on
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. tear — to rip
  19. bank — for money
  20. tear — from crying
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. bank — of a river
  23. mine — for digging
  24. bowl — a dish

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