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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.

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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: kick · club · firm · pass · net · can · rush · content

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. net — after costs
  4. club — for golf
  5. net — for catching
  6. firm — decided
  7. can — to be able to
  8. can — a tin
  9. kick — in football
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. firm — a company
  13. club — for dancing
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. club — a group
  17. pass — a permit
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. content — happy
  20. content — the amount
  21. firm — steady
  22. can — a tin
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. rush — hurry

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