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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: cell · jam · ruler · coach · mouse · hide · net · content

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. content — happy
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. content — the amount
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. net — for catching
  15. net — after costs
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. cell — a phone
  20. net — in sport
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. cell — in biology
  24. hide — animal skin

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