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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: ruler · foot · mate · drill · pound · content · fine · dip

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. mate — a partner
  5. drill — the tool
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. dip — to sink
  8. content — happy
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. pound — a weight
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. fine — all right
  15. fine — high quality
  16. mate — to breed
  17. mate — a friend
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. drill — army training
  21. foot — a measure
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. content — the amount
  24. fine — a penalty

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