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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. content — the amount
  5. wound — an injury
  6. land — ground
  7. roll — a cake
  8. track — to keep track
  9. can — a tin
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. can — a tin
  13. roll — a list
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. track — a path
  16. content — happy
  17. track — a song
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. wound — an injury
  20. can — to be able to
  21. land — to come down
  22. land — a country
  23. stand — to bear
  24. roll — on a roll

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