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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. present — a gift
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. present — there
  6. mark — a grade
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. tube — a container
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. content — the amount
  11. present — the time now
  12. fine — high quality
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. season — of the year
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. mark — a trace
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. game — a match
  20. game — wild animals
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. season — in sport
  23. tube — the underground
  24. fine — all right

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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