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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: bowl · content · pitcher · suit · face · track · spring · lean

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. face — to point toward
  3. spring — the season
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. suit — in cards
  7. track — to keep track
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. suit — clothes
  10. content — the amount
  11. spring — of water
  12. suit — to fit
  13. face — to confront
  14. track — a song
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. track — a path
  17. lean — to bend
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. lean — thin
  20. spring — a coil
  21. content — happy
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. face — part of the head

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