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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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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: roll · content · net · present · kick · bass · spell · last

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. bass — low music
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. net — for catching
  5. net — after costs
  6. content — happy
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. present — the time now
  9. last — to go on
  10. spell — letters
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. present — there
  13. spell — magic
  14. last — finally
  15. roll — a cake
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. present — a gift
  18. roll — a list
  19. kick — in football
  20. last — final
  21. bass — the fish
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. spell — a short time
  24. content — the amount

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