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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: content · toast · net · season · deal · spring · march · pound

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. deal — to handle
  3. net — for catching
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. pound — a weight
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. net — after costs
  8. spring — a coil
  9. season — in sport
  10. net — in sport
  11. march — the month
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. toast — bread
  15. content — happy
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. season — of the year
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. march — the month
  20. content — the amount
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. spring — of water
  24. spring — the season

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