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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. saw — the tool
  3. court — of law
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — to be able to
  6. net — for catching
  7. can — a tin
  8. season — of the year
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. court — of a king
  11. net — in sport
  12. content — happy
  13. court — for sport
  14. rush — hurry
  15. suit — clothes
  16. content — the amount
  17. suit — to fit
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. season — in sport
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. suit — in cards
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. net — after costs
  24. saw — the tool

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