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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 120 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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. mug — a cup
  3. degree — an amount
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. drill — a practice
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. mug — a face
  10. degree — from a university
  11. degree — temperature
  12. drill — army training
  13. sharp — clever
  14. face — to confront
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. content — the amount
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. mug — to rob
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. face — to point toward
  22. drill — the tool
  23. content — happy
  24. face — part of the head

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