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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 · bowl · ruler · patient · tear · tube · chip · fork

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. tube — the underground
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. tear — from crying
  6. fork — in a road
  7. tear — to rip
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. tear — from crying
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. content — happy
  18. chip — for betting
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. content — the amount
  21. chip — to eat
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. fork — to eat with

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