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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: date · bowl · cabinet · bark · stick · content · mouse · ruler

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. date — the fruit
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. content — happy
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bark — to shout
  24. bark — of a tree

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