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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 · foot · object · stock · snap · swing · date · chip

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. stock — shares
  4. content — happy
  5. date — the fruit
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. object — an aim
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. snap — to click
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. swing — to play on
  12. content — the amount
  13. object — to protest
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. foot — a measure
  17. chip — for betting
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. swing — music
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. chip — to eat
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. swing — in golf
  24. object — a thing

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