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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. ground — the earth
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. fork — in a road
  6. ground — crushed
  7. bore — to drill
  8. content — the amount
  9. roll — a cake
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. net — in sport
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. bore — to tire
  16. net — for catching
  17. ground — a position
  18. band — a ring
  19. net — after costs
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. content — happy
  22. band — a music group
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. roll — a list

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