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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. present — there
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. fork — in a road
  5. ball — a great time
  6. present — a gift
  7. ball — a dance
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. snap — to click
  10. content — happy
  11. content — the amount
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. present — the time now
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. degree — from a university
  23. degree — an amount
  24. degree — temperature

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