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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: season · stick · capital · can · foot · bay · content · bowl

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — a tin
  6. content — the amount
  7. can — to be able to
  8. capital — a city
  9. season — of the year
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. capital — money
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. foot — a measure
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. content — happy
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. season — in sport
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. content — videos and posts

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