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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: ruler · stock · kick · lean · content · wake · sharp · degree

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. stock — goods
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. content — happy
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. sharp — clever
  8. degree — from a university
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. stock — shares
  11. degree — temperature
  12. lean — thin
  13. degree — an amount
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. wake — a trail
  18. kick — in football
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. lean — to bend
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. sharp — with an edge

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