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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: sharp · ruler · content · wound · pitch · object · saw · land

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. pitch — completely
  3. content — the amount
  4. object — an aim
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. wound — an injury
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. land — ground
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. sharp — clever
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. wound — an injury
  15. land — to come down
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. content — happy
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — the tool
  22. object — to protest
  23. object — a thing
  24. sharp — with an edge

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