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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: content · ruler · track · calf · jam · bore · last · cell

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  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. content — the amount
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. cell — in biology
  8. content — happy
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bore — to tire
  13. last — to go on
  14. last — final
  15. cell — a phone
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. bore — to drill
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. track — a song
  21. last — finally
  22. track — to keep track
  23. track — a path
  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