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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: nail · mark · club · bore · track · wake · content · degree

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. degree — temperature
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. content — happy
  5. wake — a trail
  6. track — a song
  7. mark — a grade
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. degree — an amount
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. track — a path
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. club — a group
  14. degree — from a university
  15. club — for dancing
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. mark — a trace
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. bore — to tire
  21. track — to keep track
  22. bore — to drill
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. club — for golf

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