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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. swing — music
  3. swing — to play on
  4. land — a country
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. charge — in control
  9. land — to come down
  10. charge — a price
  11. swing — in golf
  12. stock — shares
  13. can — a tin
  14. land — ground
  15. charge — electricity
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. wound — an injury
  18. can — a tin
  19. stock — goods
  20. content — the amount
  21. wound — an injury
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. content — happy
  24. can — to be able to

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