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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
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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: content · march · can · net · mine · leaves · straw · pass

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. content — happy
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. net — for catching
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. march — music
  7. march — the month
  8. march — the month
  9. can — a tin
  10. pass — a permit
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. net — in sport
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. content — the amount
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. mine — for digging
  21. net — after costs
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. can — to be able to
  24. can — a tin

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