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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 · snap · net · deal · calf · cabinet · track · land

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. content — the amount
  3. track — a path
  4. track — a song
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. net — after costs
  8. net — for catching
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. track — to keep track
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. deal — to handle
  13. land — ground
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. net — in sport
  16. snap — to click
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. land — a country
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. land — to come down

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