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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. content — the amount
  4. shower — to wash
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. object — a thing
  7. drill — army training
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. degree — an amount
  11. degree — temperature
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — a tin
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. content — happy
  17. object — to protest
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. can — to be able to
  20. degree — from a university
  21. object — an aim
  22. shower — rain
  23. drill — the tool
  24. ruler — a monarch

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