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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. content — the amount
  4. rock — a stone
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. degree — an amount
  7. degree — temperature
  8. content — happy
  9. wind — moving air
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. rash — a series
  12. object — an aim
  13. mark — a trace
  14. rash — hasty
  15. mark — a grade
  16. degree — from a university
  17. tube — a container
  18. object — to protest
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. tube — the underground
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. rock — music
  24. object — a thing

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