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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. content — the amount
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. face — to confront
  6. net — after costs
  7. bark — to shout
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. pit — in a race
  10. face — to point toward
  11. net — in sport
  12. court — of law
  13. lean — thin
  14. net — for catching
  15. face — part of the head
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. lean — to bend
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. court — for sport
  20. court — of a king
  21. content — happy
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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