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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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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: foot · stock · calf · content · pass · cell · drill · kick

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. cell — in biology
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. stock — shares
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. kick — in football
  8. content — the amount
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. drill — a practice
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. cell — a phone
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. pass — a permit
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. foot — a measure
  19. stock — goods
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. content — happy
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. drill — army training
  24. drill — the tool

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