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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. degree — from a university
  3. firm — steady
  4. content — happy
  5. firm — decided
  6. content — the amount
  7. track — a path
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. wound — an injury
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. wound — an injury
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. current — electric
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. firm — a company
  17. degree — temperature
  18. degree — an amount
  19. track — a song
  20. current — happening now
  21. current — of water
  22. vault — a safe
  23. track — to keep track
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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