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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. content — the amount
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. mark — a trace
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. lie — to recline
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. content — happy
  16. drill — the tool
  17. mark — a grade
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. pitch — completely
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. drill — army training
  24. ruler — for measuring

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