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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. content — the amount
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. pit — in a race
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. craft — a skill
  12. court — of a king
  13. content — happy
  14. court — for sport
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. craft — boats
  18. pit — a hole
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. court — of law
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. temple — a place of worship

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