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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
468
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: clip · board · root · cabinet · content · mug · stem · court

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. clip — to cut
  4. board — a committee
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. court — of a king
  7. court — of law
  8. board — to get on
  9. stem — to come from
  10. mug — a cup
  11. content — happy
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. court — for sport
  14. clip — a video
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. mug — to rob
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. root — of a word
  20. root — the cause
  21. mug — a face
  22. clip — for paper
  23. root — of a plant
  24. content — the amount

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