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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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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. can — a tin
  3. net — after costs
  4. present — there
  5. can — to be able to
  6. current — of water
  7. content — happy
  8. mark — a grade
  9. net — for catching
  10. degree — temperature
  11. content — the amount
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. mark — a trace
  14. squash — to crush
  15. present — the time now
  16. degree — an amount
  17. current — happening now
  18. can — a tin
  19. present — a gift
  20. net — in sport
  21. degree — from a university
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. current — electric
  24. squash — the sport

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