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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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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: sharp · can · pound · bore · field · cap · content · degree

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. content — the amount
  3. cap — of ice
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. can — a tin
  6. cap — a hat
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. bore — to drill
  10. degree — temperature
  11. field — a subject
  12. sharp — clever
  13. bore — to tire
  14. degree — from a university
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. can — to be able to
  17. field — for sport
  18. cap — a lid
  19. field — farmland
  20. content — happy
  21. can — a tin
  22. degree — an amount
  23. pound — a weight
  24. bore — gave birth

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