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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. content — the amount
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. net — after costs
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. fork — in a road
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. date — the fruit
  11. cell — in biology
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. net — for catching
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. row — a line
  16. net — in sport
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. row — to paddle
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. stand — to bear
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. content — happy
  24. ruler — for measuring

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