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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · squash · bat · can · rest · bowl · track · net

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. track — a song
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. can — to be able to
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. net — after costs
  7. can — a tin
  8. content — the amount
  9. rest — a break
  10. track — to keep track
  11. net — for catching
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. track — a path
  14. squash — to crush
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. squash — the sport
  17. net — in sport
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. content — happy
  20. bat — the animal
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rest — what's left
  24. bowl — a dish

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