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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. net — in sport
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. net — after costs
  5. content — the amount
  6. press — a publisher
  7. press — to push
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. press — newspapers
  13. bark — to shout
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. sharp — clever
  16. content — happy
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. rush — hurry
  21. net — for catching
  22. dip — to sink
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. sharp — with an edge

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