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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · content · present · spell · charge · row · bark · patient

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. spell — a short time
  4. spell — letters
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. content — the amount
  8. row — a line
  9. row — to paddle
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. content — happy
  12. present — the time now
  13. charge — a price
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. charge — electricity
  19. spell — magic
  20. charge — in control
  21. present — there
  22. bark — to shout
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. patient — a sick person

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