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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 keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. land — to come down
  3. land — ground
  4. can — a tin
  5. content — the amount
  6. kick — in football
  7. season — of the year
  8. press — newspapers
  9. can — to be able to
  10. press — a publisher
  11. track — a song
  12. season — in sport
  13. can — a tin
  14. content — happy
  15. track — a path
  16. stock — goods
  17. stock — shares
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. press — to push
  21. land — a country
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. stock — a soup base

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