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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: fan · bat · arm · cue · board · bowl · fall · jam

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. fall — the season
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. fall — to drop
  7. board — to get on
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. fall — to drop
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. cue — for pool
  18. bat — the animal
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. cue — a hint
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. cue — a signal
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. jam — a tight spot

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