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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. mug — a cup
  8. firm — a company
  9. firm — steady
  10. capital — money
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. firm — decided
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. capital — a city
  17. pitch — completely
  18. stem — to come from
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. mug — a face
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. content — happy
  24. mug — to rob

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