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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. drill — the tool
  3. suit — to fit
  4. ball — a great time
  5. current — electric
  6. current — happening now
  7. content — happy
  8. suit — in cards
  9. bark — to shout
  10. drill — army training
  11. degree — from a university
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. drill — a practice
  14. lie — to recline
  15. degree — an amount
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. suit — clothes
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. content — the amount
  22. degree — temperature
  23. current — of water
  24. ball — a dance

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