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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 play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. capital — a city
  4. wind — moving air
  5. face — to point toward
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. capital — money
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. board — to get on
  10. bass — the fish
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. bass — low music
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. content — happy
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. face — to confront
  18. board — a committee
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. face — part of the head
  24. ruler — for measuring

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