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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 116 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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. tube — a container
  3. mark — a trace
  4. tube — the underground
  5. fine — high quality
  6. net — in sport
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. net — after costs
  10. fine — all right
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. press — newspapers
  13. content — happy
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. mark — a grade
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. press — to push
  21. press — a publisher
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. content — the amount
  24. net — for catching

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