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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: cell · trunk · content · stock · field · fan · mouse · jam

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. field — farmland
  4. content — the amount
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. field — for sport
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. field — a subject
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. stock — goods
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. cell — in biology
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. content — happy
  22. cell — a phone
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. stock — shares

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