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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: ball · march · spell · content · bank · fan · can · foot

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. spell — magic
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. ball — a dance
  5. march — music
  6. foot — a measure
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. content — the amount
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. can — a tin
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. spell — letters
  14. ball — a great time
  15. march — the month
  16. bank — of a river
  17. march — the month
  18. can — to be able to
  19. spell — a short time
  20. bank — for money
  21. can — a tin
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. content — happy
  24. bank — for money

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