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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. net — after costs
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. net — for catching
  6. content — the amount
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. board — to get on
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. spring — a coil
  12. spring — the season
  13. content — happy
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. board — a committee
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. net — in sport
  18. spring — of water
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. current — electric
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. current — happening now
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. current — of water

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