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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: field · lean · content · tear · swing · key · ruler · chair

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  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. content — the amount
  2. key — in music
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tear — to rip
  6. content — happy
  7. swing — in golf
  8. lean — to bend
  9. key — for a lock
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. lean — thin
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. chair — a leader
  15. field — for sport
  16. swing — music
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. key — the most important part
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. field — a subject
  21. field — farmland
  22. swing — to play on
  23. ruler — a monarch
  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