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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: game · content · leaves · chair · cold · can · stand · pass

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. can — a tin
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. content — happy
  5. stand — to bear
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. pass — a permit
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. can — to be able to
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. can — a tin
  13. cold — not warm
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. game — a match
  16. cold — an illness
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. game — wild animals
  21. chair — a leader
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. cold — the Cold War

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