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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 116 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 · sharp · march · dip · stand · rule · tube · key

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. key — in music
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. content — the amount
  6. march — the month
  7. key — for a lock
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. key — the most important part
  10. rule — a law
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. content — happy
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. stand — to bear
  18. march — music
  19. tube — a container
  20. march — the month
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. tube — the underground
  23. sharp — clever
  24. dip — to sink

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