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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. shower — rain
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. dip — to sink
  6. degree — from a university
  7. perch — the fish
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. mug — a cup
  12. shower — to wash
  13. degree — an amount
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. content — happy
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. mug — a face
  22. mug — to rob
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. content — the amount

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