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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. content — the amount
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. cold — not warm
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. charge — a price
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. content — happy
  14. fork — in a road
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. board — to get on
  17. prune — to trim
  18. charge — electricity
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. charge — in control
  21. board — a committee
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. cold — an illness
  24. fork — a garden tool

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