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

Word bank: content · stick · degree · mouse · leaves · rule · dip · pound

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  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. stick — a piece of wood
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. content — the amount
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. rule — government
  7. rule — a law
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. dip — to sink
  10. degree — temperature
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. degree — from a university
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. pound — a weight
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. content — happy
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. degree — an amount

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