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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: content · mine · lean · club · bass · leaves · cap · ruler

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. bass — the fish
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. lean — to bend
  7. lean — thin
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. cap — a lid
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. club — a group
  12. mine — for digging
  13. club — for golf
  14. club — for dancing
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. content — the amount
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. cap — of ice
  22. content — happy
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. bass — low music

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