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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 120 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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Word bank
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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. chest — a box
  3. spell — magic
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. fork — in a road
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. chest — of your body
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. spell — letters
  13. content — happy
  14. cue — a signal
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. chest — of your body
  17. content — the amount
  18. cue — a hint
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. spell — a short time
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. cue — for pool
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. pitch — completely

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