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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.

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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: board · season · cap · drill · stem · content · cabinet · pit

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  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. pit — a fruit stone
  2. cap — of ice
  3. pit — a hole
  4. board — a committee
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. drill — the tool
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. drill — a practice
  9. pit — in a race
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. season — in sport
  12. season — of the year
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. stem — to come from
  16. drill — army training
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. cap — a hat
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. board — to get on
  21. cap — a lid
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. content — the amount
  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