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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: ruler · field · rush · leaves · face · tube · content · game

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. face — to confront
  5. tube — the underground
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. game — wild animals
  9. face — part of the head
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. field — for sport
  12. content — the amount
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. content — happy
  15. rush — hurry
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. field — a subject
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. tube — a container
  20. field — farmland
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. face — to point toward
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. game — a match

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