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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 116 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: bowl · ruler · degree · ball · bass · lash · content · tube

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. degree — from a university
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. bass — low music
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. tube — the underground
  11. tube — a container
  12. degree — an amount
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. content — the amount
  17. bass — the fish
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. degree — temperature
  21. ball — a dance
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. ball — a great time
  24. ruler — a monarch

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