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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: key · ruler · band · bat · jam · content · present · foot

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. present — the time now
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. present — a gift
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. content — happy
  10. foot — a measure
  11. key — the most important part
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. key — in music
  15. bat — the animal
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. band — a ring
  19. present — there
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. band — a music group
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. content — the amount
  24. key — for a lock

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