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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 116 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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — the animal
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. degree — an amount
  8. content — the amount
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. content — happy
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. degree — from a university
  13. net — after costs
  14. bound — tied together
  15. plane — a tool
  16. bound — certain
  17. bound — obliged
  18. net — in sport
  19. degree — temperature
  20. net — for catching
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. stand — to bear
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. content — videos and posts

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