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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: bank · board · spell · bass · kick · cap · cabinet · toast

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. board — a committee
  3. bank — of a river
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. spell — letters
  6. bank — for money
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cap — a lid
  10. bank — for money
  11. spell — a short time
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. spell — magic
  14. cap — of ice
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bass — low music
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. board — to get on
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. toast — bread
  22. kick — in football
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. cap — a hat

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