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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: date · bank · content · pop · leaves · jam · net · craft

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. pop — to visit
  4. net — after costs
  5. craft — boats
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. pop — soda
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. date — the fruit
  13. net — for catching
  14. bank — for money
  15. pop — music
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. craft — a skill
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — of a river
  21. content — happy
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. net — in sport
  24. jam — a tight spot

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