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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
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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: rash · stand · content · calf · rock · field · charge · can

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. charge — a price
  5. can — to be able to
  6. charge — in control
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. field — a subject
  9. can — a tin
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. can — a tin
  12. content — happy
  13. field — farmland
  14. rash — hasty
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. rash — a series
  17. stand — to bear
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. content — the amount
  20. charge — electricity
  21. rock — a stone
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. field — for sport
  24. stand — on your feet

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