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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. content — the amount
  3. wake — a trail
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. chair — a leader
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. saw — the tool
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. content — happy
  17. march — music
  18. saw — the tool
  19. march — the month
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. pitch — completely
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. march — the month

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