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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. content — the amount
  7. fine — all right
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. degree — from a university
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. fine — high quality
  14. stand — to bear
  15. degree — an amount
  16. lean — thin
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. perch — the fish
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. row — a line
  22. content — happy
  23. row — to paddle
  24. lean — to bend

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