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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: fall · board · march · temple · deal · band · bowl · fan

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. march — the month
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. band — a ring
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. fall — the season
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. deal — to handle
  12. march — music
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. band — a music group
  15. fall — to drop
  16. board — a committee
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. march — the month
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. board — to get on
  22. fall — to drop
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. fan — to cool the air

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