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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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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: race · can · fan · deal · foot · pass · content · bear

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. pass — a permit
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. bear — the animal
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. race — humankind
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. content — the amount
  12. can — a tin
  13. bear — the animal
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. deal — to handle
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. foot — a measure
  18. race — a contest
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. race — the arms race
  21. content — happy
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. can — a tin
  24. foot — the bottom

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