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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
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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: pop · rock · spell · board · race · content · bay · cabinet

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. board — to get on
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. board — a committee
  6. pop — music
  7. pop — to visit
  8. content — happy
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. content — the amount
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. race — a contest
  15. rock — music
  16. pop — soda
  17. race — humankind
  18. spell — a short time
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. race — the arms race
  21. spell — magic
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. rock — a stone
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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