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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 120 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
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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: pass · plane · content · spring · deal · bowl · track · sharp

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. spring — a coil
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. track — to keep track
  5. track — a path
  6. sharp — clever
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. content — happy
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. spring — of water
  13. deal — to handle
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. track — a song
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. content — the amount
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. pass — a permit
  22. plane — a tool
  23. spring — the season
  24. deal — a big deal

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