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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.

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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: mine · can · last · pound · saw · mug · content · suit

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. suit — in cards
  3. last — finally
  4. last — to go on
  5. can — to be able to
  6. mug — a cup
  7. suit — clothes
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. last — final
  11. content — the amount
  12. can — a tin
  13. saw — the tool
  14. content — happy
  15. suit — to fit
  16. mine — for digging
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. mug — a face
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. pound — a weight
  22. can — a tin
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. mug — to rob

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