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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.

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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: fan · rash · bass · mate · board · mark · chest · can

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. can — to be able to
  3. board — to get on
  4. mate — a friend
  5. bass — the fish
  6. can — a tin
  7. bass — low music
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. rash — hasty
  11. can — a tin
  12. mate — to breed
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. mark — a grade
  17. chest — a box
  18. rash — a series
  19. chest — of your body
  20. mate — a partner
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. chest — of your body
  24. mark — a trace

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