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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'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. tube — the underground
  3. vault — a safe
  4. degree — an amount
  5. charge — electricity
  6. tube — a container
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. charge — in control
  9. content — the amount
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. scale — size or range
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. degree — temperature
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. charge — a price
  22. scale — in music
  23. degree — from a university
  24. content — happy

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