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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: mark · content · net · ruler · bank · firm · sharp · row

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. bank — of a river
  3. content — the amount
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. mark — a trace
  6. net — in sport
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. net — for catching
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. net — after costs
  11. bank — for money
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. content — happy
  14. row — a line
  15. bank — for money
  16. firm — decided
  17. firm — a company
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. mark — a grade
  22. sharp — clever
  23. firm — steady
  24. row — to paddle

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