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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 116 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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. scale — size or range
  3. degree — temperature
  4. rock — a stone
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. content — happy
  7. degree — from a university
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. plane — a tool
  10. rock — music
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. scale — in music
  13. degree — an amount
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. content — the amount
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. scale — for weighing

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