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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. hand — in cards
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. bear — the animal
  7. content — the amount
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. drill — the tool
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. content — happy
  13. land — to come down
  14. date — the fruit
  15. hand — help
  16. charge — a price
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. land — a country
  20. drill — army training
  21. drill — a practice
  22. charge — electricity
  23. bear — the animal
  24. charge — in control

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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