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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: cap · staff · game · bore · racket · content · bulb · coach

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. bore — to tire
  3. staff — employees
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. game — wild animals
  6. content — happy
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. staff — a stick
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. bulb — for light
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bulb — for light
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. staff — employees
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. cap — of ice
  21. content — the amount
  22. cap — a hat
  23. game — a match
  24. coach — a trainer

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