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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. content — the amount
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. roll — a list
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. date — the fruit
  8. can — a tin
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. can — a tin
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. capital — money
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. content — happy
  18. can — to be able to
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. capital — a city
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. roll — a cake
  24. arm — part of the body

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