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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 120 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: field · rock · rush · pop · content · ruler · dip · chest

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. rock — music
  3. field — a subject
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. field — farmland
  7. pop — soda
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. field — for sport
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. chest — a box
  12. dip — to sink
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. rush — hurry
  16. rock — a stone
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chest — of your body
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. pop — music
  22. content — the amount
  23. content — happy
  24. pop — to visit

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