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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: pass · firm · club · rock · content · leaves · spring · land

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. land — ground
  3. rock — a stone
  4. spring — a coil
  5. firm — a company
  6. pass — a permit
  7. firm — steady
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. spring — of water
  11. firm — decided
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. content — happy
  14. land — to come down
  15. rock — music
  16. club — a group
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. land — a country
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. content — the amount
  21. club — for dancing
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. club — for golf

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