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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: tube · season · toast · game · board · stem · bound · roll

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. board — to get on
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. game — a match
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. bound — obliged
  7. roll — a cake
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. bound — tied together
  10. stem — to come from
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. tube — the underground
  15. season — in sport
  16. roll — a list
  17. season — of the year
  18. toast — bread
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. bound — certain
  21. game — wild animals
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. tube — a container
  24. board — a committee

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