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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 120 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 · stand · ruler · squash · rash · pit · wound · tube

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. wound — an injury
  6. rash — a series
  7. content — happy
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. wound — an injury
  10. tube — a container
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. pit — in a race
  15. squash — the sport
  16. stand — to bear
  17. pit — a hole
  18. squash — to crush
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. tube — the underground
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. content — the amount
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. rash — hasty

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