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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: land · chest · calf · content · roll · chip · bay · net

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. content — happy
  4. roll — a cake
  5. chest — a box
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. land — to come down
  8. chip — for betting
  9. net — after costs
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. land — a country
  13. content — the amount
  14. chest — of your body
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. chip — to eat
  18. net — for catching
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. land — ground
  21. chest — of your body
  22. roll — a list
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. net — in sport

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