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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.

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: board · roll · pop · cap · content · saw · calf · stick

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. content — happy
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. board — a committee
  7. board — to get on
  8. cap — a lid
  9. cap — a hat
  10. cap — of ice
  11. content — the amount
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. pop — music
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. roll — a list
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. pop — to visit
  23. content — videos and posts
  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