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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. band — a ring
  4. content — the amount
  5. ball — a great time
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. band — a music group
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. degree — an amount
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. land — a country
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. land — ground
  18. ball — a dance
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. degree — from a university
  22. degree — temperature
  23. content — happy
  24. land — to come down

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