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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: ball · lean · pit · net · pop · staff · content · can

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. pop — music
  3. pit — a hole
  4. can — a tin
  5. staff — employees
  6. content — the amount
  7. can — to be able to
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. pop — to visit
  10. pop — soda
  11. net — after costs
  12. ball — a dance
  13. staff — employees
  14. lean — to bend
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. net — for catching
  17. net — in sport
  18. pit — in a race
  19. content — happy
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. lean — thin
  22. staff — a stick
  23. can — a tin
  24. ball — a great time

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