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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 124 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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. content — happy
  3. bank — of a river
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. degree — from a university
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. craft — a skill
  8. bank — for money
  9. toast — bread
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. bank — for money
  12. craft — boats
  13. object — an aim
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. object — a thing
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. object — to protest
  21. degree — temperature
  22. degree — an amount
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. sharp — clever

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