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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: content · swing · ball · press · mine · kid · firm · calf

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. content — the amount
  3. ball — a dance
  4. firm — a company
  5. swing — music
  6. press — to push
  7. press — newspapers
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. firm — steady
  10. swing — to play on
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. kid — child
  13. kid — to tease
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. mine — for digging
  17. press — a publisher
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. firm — decided
  21. content — happy
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. ball — a great time
  24. calf — of the leg

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