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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. content — the amount
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. capital — a city
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. rule — government
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. fork — in a road
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. cell — a phone
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. board — a committee
  17. content — happy
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. cell — in biology
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. board — to get on
  23. rule — a law
  24. capital — money

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