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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: roll · content · pit · board · branch · bowl · squash · trunk

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. board — a committee
  3. board — to get on
  4. content — happy
  5. branch — a division
  6. pit — a hole
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. squash — the sport
  13. pit — in a race
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. squash — to crush
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. roll — a cake
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. content — the amount

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