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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 120 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: object · season · cap · content · board · bore · firm · row

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. object — an aim
  3. board — to get on
  4. cap — a hat
  5. cap — a lid
  6. content — the amount
  7. season — in sport
  8. season — of the year
  9. bore — to tire
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. bore — to drill
  12. object — a thing
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. firm — decided
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. firm — steady
  17. firm — a company
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. row — to paddle
  20. cap — of ice
  21. object — to protest
  22. row — a line
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. content — happy

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