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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 116 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: mark · stem · board · cap · cue · season · bowl · pop

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. season — of the year
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. board — to get on
  6. stem — to come from
  7. cue — for pool
  8. cap — of ice
  9. pop — music
  10. pop — soda
  11. mark — a trace
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. cap — a hat
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. board — a committee
  17. mark — a grade
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. cue — a hint
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. cue — a signal
  22. cap — a lid
  23. season — in sport
  24. pop — to visit

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