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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 · race · content · mouse · rock · game · fork · temple

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. fork — in a road
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. race — the arms race
  8. content — happy
  9. game — a match
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. rock — a stone
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. race — humankind
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. content — the amount
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. rock — music
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. game — wild animals
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. race — a contest

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