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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: dip · land · content · staff · bowl · rule · wave · coach

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. staff — a stick
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. content — happy
  11. staff — employees
  12. rule — government
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. land — to come down
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. dip — to sink
  21. land — ground
  22. land — a country
  23. staff — employees
  24. rule — a law

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