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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. field — for sport
  7. band — a music group
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. field — a subject
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. field — farmland
  13. date — the fruit
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. band — a ring
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. content — happy

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