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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 116 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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. staff — a stick
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. staff — employees
  7. degree — temperature
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. degree — an amount
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. staff — employees
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. content — the amount
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. craft — boats
  19. court — of a king
  20. craft — a skill
  21. content — happy
  22. court — for sport
  23. court — of law
  24. degree — from a university

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