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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. content — the amount
  3. can — a tin
  4. suit — to fit
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. lean — to bend
  7. season — in sport
  8. net — after costs
  9. season — of the year
  10. net — in sport
  11. suit — clothes
  12. net — for catching
  13. can — to be able to
  14. can — a tin
  15. firm — a company
  16. firm — steady
  17. firm — decided
  18. spell — a short time
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. suit — in cards
  21. lean — thin
  22. content — happy
  23. spell — letters
  24. spell — magic

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