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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. wind — moving air
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. ball — a great time
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. degree — from a university
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. content — the amount
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. degree — temperature
  12. ball — a dance
  13. content — happy
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. degree — an amount
  17. rule — government
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. wind — moving air
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. rule — a law
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. stand — to bear

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