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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. spell — magic
  5. mark — a grade
  6. staff — employees
  7. content — the amount
  8. degree — temperature
  9. spell — letters
  10. mark — a trace
  11. staff — a stick
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. content — happy
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. degree — an amount
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. kick — in football
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. degree — from a university
  20. staff — employees
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. kick — a thrill

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