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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: stem · chip · roll · content · season · cabinet · hand · board

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. hand — in cards
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. season — of the year
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. hand — help
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. chip — to eat
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. season — in sport
  12. board — a committee
  13. board — to get on
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. stem — to come from
  16. content — the amount
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. roll — a cake
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. content — happy
  23. chip — for betting
  24. hand — part of the body

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