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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. content — happy
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. roll — a list
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. content — the amount
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. stock — goods
  11. fall — the season
  12. fall — to drop
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. stock — shares
  15. bulb — for light
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. bulb — for light
  20. branch — a division
  21. roll — a cake
  22. fall — to drop
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. stand — to bear

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