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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 120 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: row · content · land · bore · swing · stand · stock · tube

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. stock — shares
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. tube — the underground
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. row — a line
  7. bore — to tire
  8. tube — a container
  9. row — to paddle
  10. content — the amount
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. swing — music
  13. swing — to play on
  14. land — to come down
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. content — happy
  17. land — ground
  18. land — a country
  19. stand — to bear
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. swing — in golf
  22. stock — goods
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bore — gave birth

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