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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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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: rash · bowl · fine · land · deal · board · bank · march

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. land — a country
  3. deal — to handle
  4. rash — hasty
  5. land — ground
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. board — a committee
  8. march — music
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. bank — for money
  11. march — the month
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. land — to come down
  14. march — the month
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. fine — high quality
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. rash — a series
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. bank — for money
  22. board — to get on
  23. fine — all right
  24. bank — of a river

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