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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. pound — a weight
  6. field — for sport
  7. bank — for money
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. field — a subject
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. last — to go on
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. bank — of a river
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. content — the amount
  17. chip — for betting
  18. bank — for money
  19. chip — to eat
  20. last — finally
  21. mark — a trace
  22. mark — a grade
  23. field — farmland
  24. last — final

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