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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: game · race · content · sharp · key · ruler · hide · date

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. content — the amount
  4. key — the most important part
  5. game — wild animals
  6. race — humankind
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. date — the fruit
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. race — the arms race
  16. sharp — clever
  17. key — for a lock
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. content — happy
  20. key — in music
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. race — a contest
  24. game — a match

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