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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: coach · can · content · land · board · object · craft · squash

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. squash — to crush
  3. can — a tin
  4. object — a thing
  5. object — an aim
  6. land — a country
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. land — to come down
  11. object — to protest
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. content — the amount
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. can — to be able to
  16. craft — a skill
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. board — a committee
  19. squash — the sport
  20. can — a tin
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. board — to get on
  23. land — ground
  24. craft — boats

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