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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 120 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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. fine — high quality
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. bass — the fish
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. bass — low music
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. fine — all right
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. content — happy
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. fork — in a road
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. temple — side of the head

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