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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: net · scale · kick · can · bank · coach · pass · content

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. kick — in football
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. net — after costs
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. content — happy
  7. bank — for money
  8. net — for catching
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. bank — of a river
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. scale — in music
  13. can — to be able to
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. scale — size or range
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. net — in sport
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — a tin
  22. bank — for money
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. content — the amount

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