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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: content · ruler · mark · ball · foot · racket · bear · wound

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. ball — a dance
  4. bear — the animal
  5. wound — an injury
  6. content — happy
  7. wound — an injury
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. foot — a measure
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. content — the amount
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. ball — a great time
  22. mark — a grade
  23. bear — the animal
  24. mark — a trace

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