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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  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. sharp — exactly
  2. can — a tin
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. pass — a permit
  5. can — a tin
  6. band — a ring
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. club — for dancing
  10. ground — crushed
  11. content — the amount
  12. club — a group
  13. sharp — clever
  14. cap — a hat
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. cap — of ice
  17. content — happy
  18. band — a music group
  19. club — for golf
  20. ground — the earth
  21. can — to be able to
  22. ground — a position
  23. pass — to spend time
  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