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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: cap · present · drill · roll · wound · ball · content · board

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. cap — a lid
  3. ball — a great time
  4. board — to get on
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. board — a committee
  9. ball — a dance
  10. roll — a list
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. present — there
  13. content — happy
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. drill — army training
  16. wound — an injury
  17. cap — a hat
  18. cap — of ice
  19. present — a gift
  20. wound — an injury
  21. drill — a practice
  22. content — the amount
  23. drill — the tool
  24. roll — a cake

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