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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: ruler · calf · content · ball · pit · object · cell · jam

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. content — happy
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. ball — a dance
  9. object — an aim
  10. object — a thing
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. pit — a hole
  13. content — the amount
  14. object — to protest
  15. ball — a great time
  16. cell — in biology
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. cell — a phone
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. pit — in a race
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — of the leg

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