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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. degree — from a university
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. fine — all right
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bass — low music
  11. content — the amount
  12. bass — the fish
  13. can — a tin
  14. wake — a trail
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. fine — high quality
  18. scale — in music
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. content — happy
  21. scale — size or range
  22. degree — an amount
  23. can — to be able to
  24. can — a tin

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