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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · craft · perch · chip · stock · ball · face · calf

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. perch — the fish
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. chip — for betting
  7. stock — shares
  8. ball — a dance
  9. face — part of the head
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. stock — goods
  15. ball — a great time
  16. chip — to eat
  17. craft — boats
  18. content — the amount
  19. face — to confront
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. face — to point toward
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. craft — a skill
  24. content — happy

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