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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.

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: content · hide · present · board · rock · capital · court · trunk

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. board — a committee
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. content — the amount
  7. present — a gift
  8. content — happy
  9. court — of a king
  10. rock — a stone
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. court — of law
  15. board — to get on
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. present — there
  18. rock — music
  19. capital — a city
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. court — for sport
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. capital — money

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