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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: can · trunk · degree · content · bowl · kid

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. degree — temperature
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. can — a tin
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. degree — an amount
  10. degree — from a university
  11. kid — child
  12. content — happy
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. kid — to tease
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — to be able to

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