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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 120 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. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. swing — to play on
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. file — a tool
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. file — a document
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. content — happy
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. net — after costs
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. deal — to handle
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. net — in sport
  21. swing — music
  22. file — a line of people
  23. swing — in golf
  24. net — for catching

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