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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 120 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: racket · ruler · land · bear · content · kid · last · coach

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. bear — the animal
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. kid — child
  5. bear — the animal
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. last — finally
  8. land — to come down
  9. content — happy
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. kid — to tease
  13. last — final
  14. land — ground
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. land — a country
  20. content — the amount
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. last — to go on

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