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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: stock · mine · content · calf · rock · wave · date · press

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. stock — goods
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. press — a publisher
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. content — happy
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. mine — for digging
  12. press — to push
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. press — newspapers
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. content — the amount
  18. date — the fruit
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. stock — shares
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. rock — a stone
  24. rock — music

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