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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.

Make a worksheet

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: bowl · board · mark · wind · root · shower · pop · fan

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. board — a committee
  3. root — of a plant
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. root — the cause
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. pop — to visit
  8. mark — a grade
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. shower — rain
  12. root — of a word
  13. pop — soda
  14. wind — moving air
  15. mark — a trace
  16. board — to get on
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. shower — to wash
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. pop — music
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. wind — moving air

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