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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. charge — in control
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. band — a ring
  7. key — for a lock
  8. stand — to bear
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. charge — a price
  11. land — ground
  12. charge — electricity
  13. content — the amount
  14. band — a music group
  15. content — happy
  16. land — a country
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. key — the most important part
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. land — to come down
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. key — in music
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. calf — a young animal

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