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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. can — to be able to
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. can — a tin
  5. content — the amount
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. file — a document
  8. net — for catching
  9. sharp — clever
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. deal — to handle
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. mark — a trace
  16. content — happy
  17. file — a tool
  18. file — a line of people
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. net — after costs
  22. mark — a grade
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. can — a tin

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