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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.

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: bay · scale · board · bowl · land · swing · cap · sharp

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. cap — of ice
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. land — ground
  6. swing — in golf
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. cap — a lid
  10. swing — music
  11. board — a committee
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. scale — in music
  15. land — a country
  16. cap — a hat
  17. sharp — clever
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. land — to come down
  22. swing — to play on
  23. board — to get on
  24. scale — size or range

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