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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: jam · degree · spell · craft · rest · ball · rule · content

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. rest — what's left
  3. spell — a short time
  4. spell — letters
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. rest — a break
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. ball — a dance
  10. ball — a great time
  11. content — happy
  12. degree — temperature
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. craft — boats
  15. craft — a skill
  16. degree — an amount
  17. content — the amount
  18. rule — a law
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. rest — what's left
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. rule — government
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. degree — from a university

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