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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: net · content · mug · bass · stand · cap · craft · ground

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. stand — to bear
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. ground — the earth
  5. cap — of ice
  6. cap — a hat
  7. ground — crushed
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. mug — to rob
  10. content — happy
  11. net — in sport
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. mug — a face
  14. ground — a position
  15. craft — a skill
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. bass — the fish
  18. mug — a cup
  19. content — the amount
  20. net — for catching
  21. net — after costs
  22. craft — boats
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. bass — low music

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