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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: cabinet · board · present · content · mark · band · stick · prune

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. band — a music group
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. board — to get on
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. content — the amount
  13. mark — a grade
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. present — the time now
  16. board — a committee
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. present — there
  19. content — happy
  20. band — a ring
  21. prune — to trim
  22. mark — a trace
  23. prune — to trim
  24. present — a gift

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