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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 116 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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. track — a path
  3. content — happy
  4. object — a thing
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. object — to protest
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. club — for dancing
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. club — for golf
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. rest — a break
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. rest — what's left
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. rest — what's left
  18. club — a group
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. object — an aim
  21. content — the amount
  22. track — a song
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. track — to keep track

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