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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. court — of law
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. court — of a king
  7. bass — low music
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. content — happy
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bark — to shout
  12. suit — clothes
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. suit — to fit
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bass — the fish
  17. court — for sport
  18. suit — in cards
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. lie — to recline
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. ruler — a monarch

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