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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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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: scale · snap · bowl · club · dip · fork · board · wind

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. scale — size or range
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. fork — in a road
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. scale — in music
  9. dip — to sink
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. snap — to click
  13. wind — moving air
  14. board — a committee
  15. club — a group
  16. wind — moving air
  17. club — for golf
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. club — for dancing
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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