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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. content — the amount
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. content — happy
  5. season — in sport
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. chip — for betting
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. chip — to eat
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. mug — a face
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. bat — the animal
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. season — of the year
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. mug — to rob

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