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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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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: cap · calf · spring · bore · ground · board · craft · content

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. spring — of water
  5. cap — a lid
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. craft — boats
  8. bore — to drill
  9. ground — crushed
  10. content — the amount
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. board — a committee
  13. content — happy
  14. cap — of ice
  15. board — to get on
  16. ground — a position
  17. bore — to tire
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. craft — a skill
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. cap — a hat
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. spring — the season
  24. spring — a coil

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