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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: ground · march · net · bowl · fan · board · bay · cell

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. ground — crushed
  5. march — music
  6. ground — a position
  7. ground — the earth
  8. march — the month
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. net — after costs
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. board — a committee
  17. cell — a phone
  18. net — for catching
  19. net — in sport
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. cell — in biology
  23. march — the month
  24. bay — a horse colour

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