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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. tube — the underground
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. tube — a container
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. charge — in control
  10. content — the amount
  11. kid — child
  12. kid — to tease
  13. charge — electricity
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. season — in sport
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. season — of the year
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. charge — a price
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. cue — a signal
  23. cue — for pool
  24. content — happy

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