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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: bear · can · row · deal · spring · content · coach · fan

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bear — the animal
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. spring — of water
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. content — happy
  7. row — to paddle
  8. can — a tin
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. spring — a coil
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. content — the amount
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. spring — the season
  19. can — to be able to
  20. can — a tin
  21. row — a line
  22. deal — to handle
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bear — to put up with

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