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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. degree — an amount
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. club — for golf
  5. fork — in a road
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. key — in music
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. content — the amount
  10. key — the most important part
  11. content — happy
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. bore — to tire
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. key — for a lock
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. degree — from a university
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. club — a group
  21. club — for dancing
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bore — gave birth

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