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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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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. perch — the fish
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. bank — of a river
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. mark — a grade
  12. content — happy
  13. bank — for money
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. pitch — completely
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. wax — to grow
  20. content — the amount
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. mark — a trace
  23. bank — for money
  24. content — videos and posts

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