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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. stock — shares
  5. stock — goods
  6. track — a song
  7. content — the amount
  8. saw — the tool
  9. track — a path
  10. degree — an amount
  11. suit — to fit
  12. content — happy
  13. mug — a face
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. mug — a cup
  16. mark — a grade
  17. suit — clothes
  18. mug — to rob
  19. saw — the tool
  20. degree — from a university
  21. mark — a trace
  22. suit — in cards
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. track — to keep track

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