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

Word bank: mine · ruler · tear · content · pitch · temple

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. pitch — completely
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. content — happy
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. tear — from crying
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. tear — to rip
  13. tear — from crying
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. mine — for digging
  18. temple — side of the head

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