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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.

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
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: bowl · wave · march · root · fan · board · cap · net

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. root — of a word
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. cap — a hat
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. cap — a lid
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. cap — of ice
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. board — a committee
  11. net — in sport
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. root — the cause
  14. march — music
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. march — the month
  20. root — of a plant
  21. net — after costs
  22. board — to get on
  23. net — for catching
  24. fan — a supporter

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