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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. cue — for pool
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. content — the amount
  5. scale — in music
  6. degree — an amount
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. degree — from a university
  9. content — happy
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. cue — a signal
  13. wound — an injury
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. cue — a hint
  16. snap — to click
  17. wound — an injury
  18. scale — size or range

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