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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 · chair · ruler · roll · can · spring · pit · cue

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. cue — a hint
  4. can — a tin
  5. content — the amount
  6. spring — a coil
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. pit — a hole
  10. spring — the season
  11. roll — a cake
  12. pit — in a race
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. cue — for pool
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. content — happy
  17. can — to be able to
  18. can — a tin
  19. roll — a list
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. chair — a leader
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. cue — a signal

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