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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: board · content · straw · cap · bulb · stand · season · march

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. stand — to bear
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. march — music
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. cap — a hat
  7. cap — a lid
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. season — of the year
  10. content — happy
  11. season — in sport
  12. march — the month
  13. board — to get on
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. cap — of ice
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. march — the month
  21. bulb — for light
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. bulb — for light
  24. content — the amount

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