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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: spring · fine · branch · content · cap · fork · pop · board

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. branch — a division
  3. board — to get on
  4. cap — of ice
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. content — happy
  7. pop — soda
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. cap — a hat
  11. content — the amount
  12. pop — music
  13. fine — high quality
  14. spring — the season
  15. pop — to visit
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. spring — of water
  19. fork — in a road
  20. fine — all right
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. spring — a coil
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. cap — a lid

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