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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. rest — a break
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. scale — size or range
  5. ground — the earth
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. rule — government
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. content — happy
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. mark — a trace
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rule — a law
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. ground — crushed
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. scale — in music
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. ground — a position
  23. mark — a grade
  24. rest — what's left

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