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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: can · content · ruler · season · race · kid · mouse · face

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. race — a contest
  8. face — to confront
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. season — in sport
  11. kid — child
  12. face — part of the head
  13. can — to be able to
  14. content — the amount
  15. can — a tin
  16. kid — to tease
  17. season — of the year
  18. can — a tin
  19. face — to point toward
  20. race — humankind
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. race — the arms race
  24. content — happy

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