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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 ________________ took off on time.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. chair — a leader
  5. foot — a measure
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. suit — to fit
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. roll — a list
  11. suit — clothes
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. rule — a law
  14. rule — government
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. plane — a tool
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. roll — a cake
  20. content — happy
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. suit — in cards
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. foot — part of the body

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