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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  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. content — videos and posts
  2. content — happy
  3. degree — temperature
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. club — for dancing
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. fine — all right
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. rash — a series
  12. fine — high quality
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. club — for golf
  16. bear — the animal
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. degree — an amount
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. club — a group
  21. degree — from a university
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. rash — hasty
  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