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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 116 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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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: ball · board · rest · stick · craft · stem · cap · content

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. cap — a lid
  3. rest — what's left
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. ball — a dance
  7. stem — to come from
  8. board — to get on
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. ball — a great time
  12. cap — of ice
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. board — a committee
  15. content — the amount
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. craft — a skill
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. rest — a break
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. rest — what's left
  23. cap — a hat
  24. craft — boats

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