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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.

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 · capital · content · bowl · ball · bulb · net · hide

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. capital — money
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. ball — a dance
  8. content — happy
  9. bulb — for light
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. net — for catching
  13. net — in sport
  14. capital — a city
  15. ball — a great time
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. content — the amount
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. track — a path
  21. track — a song
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. track — to keep track

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