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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. degree — from a university
  5. fine — high quality
  6. race — the arms race
  7. degree — an amount
  8. pop — music
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. chip — to eat
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. chip — for betting
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. race — humankind
  15. pop — soda
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. pop — to visit
  18. degree — temperature
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. race — a contest
  21. content — happy
  22. content — the amount
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. fine — all right

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