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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: season · perch · can · content · cue · net · stem · spell

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. net — for catching
  3. content — the amount
  4. season — in sport
  5. spell — magic
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — the fish
  8. spell — a short time
  9. cue — for pool
  10. can — a tin
  11. cue — a hint
  12. content — happy
  13. season — of the year
  14. net — in sport
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. cue — a signal
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — to be able to
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. spell — letters
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. net — after costs

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