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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. rash — hasty
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. mine — for digging
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. march — the month
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. firm — decided
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. degree — from a university
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. march — the month
  13. content — the amount
  14. degree — an amount
  15. firm — steady
  16. degree — temperature
  17. march — music
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. firm — a company
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. vault — a safe
  23. rash — a series
  24. content — happy

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