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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. spell — magic
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. bark — to shout
  6. charge — electricity
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. spell — a short time
  13. charge — a price
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. tube — a container
  17. content — happy
  18. charge — in control
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. spell — letters
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. tube — the underground
  24. bat — the animal

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