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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: bowl · bass · fork · band · chip · court · sharp · board

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bass — the fish
  3. board — a committee
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. band — a ring
  6. chip — to eat
  7. court — of a king
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. board — to get on
  13. chip — for betting
  14. court — for sport
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. bass — low music
  17. band — a music group
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. court — of law
  20. fork — in a road
  21. sharp — clever
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. bowl — to roll

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