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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. rule — government
  3. pop — soda
  4. bark — to shout
  5. pitch — completely
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. content — happy
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. pop — to visit
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. pop — music
  21. rule — a law
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — a monarch

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