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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: calf · spring · mug · content · net · chair · can · bowl

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. chair — a leader
  3. net — in sport
  4. net — after costs
  5. spring — of water
  6. mug — a face
  7. spring — the season
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. spring — a coil
  11. content — the amount
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. mug — to rob
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. can — a tin
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. mug — a cup
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. can — to be able to
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. can — a tin
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. net — for catching

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