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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: swing · bay · stock · press · content · calf · track · craft

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. content — the amount
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. track — a path
  6. stock — goods
  7. craft — a skill
  8. swing — to play on
  9. swing — in golf
  10. track — to keep track
  11. swing — music
  12. track — a song
  13. press — to push
  14. craft — boats
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. press — a publisher
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. press — newspapers
  21. content — happy
  22. stock — shares
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. craft — a handicraft

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