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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. content — happy
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. present — a gift
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. bass — the fish
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. present — the time now
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. content — the amount
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. present — there
  15. bass — low music
  16. mug — a cup
  17. mug — a face
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. land — a country
  22. land — to come down
  23. land — ground
  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