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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 120 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: wake · fan · scale · net · cap · bank · bear · board

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. cap — of ice
  3. bear — the animal
  4. net — in sport
  5. bank — for money
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. board — to get on
  9. scale — size or range
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. cap — a hat
  12. net — after costs
  13. scale — in music
  14. bank — of a river
  15. bank — for money
  16. net — for catching
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bear — the animal
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. wake — a trail
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. cap — a lid
  24. board — a committee

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