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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.

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: present · file · land · content · racket · can · chair · swing

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. land — ground
  3. can — to be able to
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. can — a tin
  6. file — a tool
  7. land — to come down
  8. swing — music
  9. content — happy
  10. file — a line of people
  11. land — a country
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. present — the time now
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. can — a tin
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. file — a document
  18. content — the amount
  19. present — there
  20. present — a gift
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. swing — in golf
  23. chair — a leader
  24. swing — to play on

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