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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. stem — to come from
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. suit — clothes
  7. degree — temperature
  8. suit — in cards
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. degree — from a university
  11. club — for golf
  12. ground — the earth
  13. degree — an amount
  14. club — a group
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. content — happy
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. bark — to shout
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. ground — a position
  22. club — for dancing
  23. suit — to fit
  24. ground — crushed

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