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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: content · race · root · cabinet · leaves · temple · board · season

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. race — humankind
  5. content — happy
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. season — of the year
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. root — of a word
  10. content — the amount
  11. race — a contest
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. board — to get on
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. root — of a plant
  16. season — in sport
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. board — a committee
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. race — the arms race
  24. root — the cause

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