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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: content · cap · lean · present · net · pass · calf · ground

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. present — the time now
  3. pass — a permit
  4. net — after costs
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. content — the amount
  8. net — for catching
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. ground — the earth
  12. cap — a lid
  13. ground — a position
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. lean — to bend
  16. present — there
  17. content — happy
  18. cap — a hat
  19. lean — thin
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. ground — crushed
  23. net — in sport
  24. cap — of ice

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