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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. present — a gift
  4. stock — shares
  5. perch — the fish
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. present — the time now
  8. content — the amount
  9. ground — the earth
  10. land — to come down
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. firm — steady
  13. land — ground
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. can — a tin
  16. ground — crushed
  17. firm — a company
  18. content — happy
  19. firm — decided
  20. ground — a position
  21. land — a country
  22. stock — goods
  23. can — to be able to
  24. can — a tin

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