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

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. content — happy
  3. season — of the year
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. bore — to drill
  7. degree — temperature
  8. season — in sport
  9. degree — an amount
  10. plane — a tool
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. bulb — for light
  14. degree — from a university
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bulb — for light
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. bulb — of a plant

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