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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. bear — the animal
  3. content — the amount
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rest — a break
  6. sharp — clever
  7. stock — goods
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. rest — what's left
  17. last — final
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. content — happy
  20. stock — shares
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. last — to go on
  24. last — finally

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