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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: pass · drill · bowl · bank · board · club · wake · lean

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. club — for golf
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. club — a group
  5. wake — a trail
  6. bank — of a river
  7. drill — a practice
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. lean — to bend
  10. club — for dancing
  11. board — to get on
  12. lean — thin
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. drill — the tool
  15. bank — for money
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. pass — a permit
  18. board — a committee
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. bank — for money
  22. drill — army training
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. pass — to spend time

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