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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.

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: leaves · pound · coach · mouse · season · pass · cap · content

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. content — the amount
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. pass — a permit
  7. content — happy
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. cap — a lid
  11. cap — of ice
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. season — in sport
  16. cap — a hat
  17. season — of the year
  18. pound — a weight
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. mouse — for a computer

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