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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ruler · pound · rush · jam · content · march

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. march — the month
  5. content — the amount
  6. rush — hurry
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. march — music
  12. content — happy
  13. march — the month
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. pound — a weight
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. ruler — for measuring

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