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

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. stock — shares
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. pop — to visit
  10. chest — a box
  11. content — the amount
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bulb — for light
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. bulb — for light
  16. stock — goods
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. chest — of your body
  20. pop — soda
  21. branch — a division
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. content — happy
  24. chest — of your body

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