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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 · stick · kick · content · field · scale · foot · chip

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  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. stick — a piece of wood
  2. field — for sport
  3. scale — in music
  4. field — farmland
  5. scale — size or range
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. content — happy
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. foot — a measure
  14. kick — in football
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. field — a subject
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. chip — for betting
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. chip — to eat
  23. content — the amount
  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