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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: content · rule · chair · board · bore · roll · cap · date

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. cap — a lid
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. board — to get on
  6. roll — a cake
  7. roll — a list
  8. rule — government
  9. board — a committee
  10. cap — a hat
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. rule — a law
  13. date — the fruit
  14. content — the amount
  15. cap — of ice
  16. chair — a leader
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bore — to tire
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. content — happy

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