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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. content — the amount
  6. spring — the season
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. can — a tin
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. spring — a coil
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. spring — of water
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. can — a tin
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. mine — for digging
  22. snap — to click
  23. pass — a permit
  24. content — happy

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