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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.

Make a worksheet

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: track · season · net · spring · face · ground · can · arm

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. season — in sport
  5. spring — a coil
  6. spring — of water
  7. can — a tin
  8. net — in sport
  9. ground — a position
  10. net — for catching
  11. spring — the season
  12. track — a path
  13. can — to be able to
  14. season — of the year
  15. ground — crushed
  16. track — to keep track
  17. track — a song
  18. face — to confront
  19. ground — the earth
  20. face — to point toward
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. face — part of the head
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. net — after costs

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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