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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. drill — the tool
  3. net — in sport
  4. net — for catching
  5. mug — a cup
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. degree — temperature
  8. cue — a signal
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. cue — for pool
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. degree — an amount
  13. bass — the fish
  14. net — after costs
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. cue — a hint
  17. drill — a practice
  18. bass — low music
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. drill — army training
  21. content — happy
  22. degree — from a university
  23. mug — to rob
  24. mug — a face

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