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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
468
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 · can · land · capital · kick · stem · bulb · content

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. can — to be able to
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. can — a tin
  8. capital — money
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. capital — a city
  11. land — ground
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. board — a committee
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. land — to come down
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. land — a country
  19. bulb — for light
  20. kick — in football
  21. content — the amount
  22. board — to get on
  23. stem — to come from
  24. can — a tin

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