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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.

Make a worksheet

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: pound · content · bowl · degree · jam · leaves · plane · pitcher

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. content — happy
  7. plane — a tool
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. pound — a weight
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. degree — from a university
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. degree — temperature
  21. degree — an amount
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. content — the amount
  24. leaves — to go away

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