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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: mark · fan · board · drill · cap · suit · ground · bowl

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. ground — a position
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. cap — of ice
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. drill — a practice
  7. mark — a trace
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. suit — clothes
  11. drill — the tool
  12. cap — a lid
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. drill — army training
  15. mark — a grade
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. suit — in cards
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. ground — the earth
  20. board — a committee
  21. cap — a hat
  22. ground — crushed
  23. suit — to fit
  24. mark — to pay attention

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