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

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. content — the amount
  3. suit — to fit
  4. content — happy
  5. can — to be able to
  6. bank — of a river
  7. march — the month
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. field — for sport
  10. bank — for money
  11. suit — in cards
  12. field — farmland
  13. suit — clothes
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — a tin
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. field — a subject
  19. pass — a permit
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. wax — to grow
  23. march — music
  24. march — the month

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