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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. can — a tin
  7. suit — clothes
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. can — a tin
  10. suit — in cards
  11. content — happy
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. content — the amount
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. cap — of ice
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. cap — a lid
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. spring — of water
  20. spring — a coil
  21. pitch — completely
  22. cap — a hat
  23. suit — to fit
  24. can — to be able to

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