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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: sharp · wound · pass · ruler · wake · mark · content · racket

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. sharp — clever
  3. wound — an injury
  4. mark — a grade
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. pass — a permit
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. wound — an injury
  15. content — happy
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. content — the amount
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. wake — a trail
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. mark — a trace
  24. ruler — for measuring

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