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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: can · content · foot · firm · mine · wound · racket · roll

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. content — happy
  5. roll — a list
  6. roll — a cake
  7. foot — a measure
  8. wound — an injury
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. can — a tin
  11. wound — an injury
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. firm — decided
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. content — the amount
  18. can — to be able to
  19. mine — for digging
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. firm — a company
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. firm — steady

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