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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. stock — goods
  3. march — the month
  4. content — the amount
  5. march — the month
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. face — to confront
  8. game — wild animals
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. prune — to trim
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. stock — shares
  17. content — happy
  18. prune — to trim
  19. march — music
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. face — to point toward
  22. face — part of the head
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. game — a match

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