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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. bulb — for light
  4. cap — a hat
  5. plane — a tool
  6. cap — of ice
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. bulb — for light
  9. cap — a lid
  10. mark — a grade
  11. degree — an amount
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. craft — boats
  14. content — happy
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. degree — temperature
  17. degree — from a university
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. mark — a trace
  20. craft — a skill
  21. sharp — clever
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. craft — a handicraft

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