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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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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. last — final
  3. content — happy
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. last — finally
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. season — in sport
  9. rule — government
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. game — wild animals
  12. can — a tin
  13. rule — a law
  14. can — to be able to
  15. season — of the year
  16. bank — for money
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. game — a match
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — of a river
  21. content — the amount
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. last — to go on

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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