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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. spell — magic
  3. spell — a short time
  4. firm — steady
  5. charge — electricity
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. present — a gift
  9. degree — from a university
  10. sharp — clever
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. present — the time now
  13. degree — temperature
  14. deal — to handle
  15. spell — letters
  16. charge — a price
  17. firm — a company
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. content — the amount
  20. firm — decided
  21. charge — in control
  22. content — happy
  23. present — there
  24. degree — an amount

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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