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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 120 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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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: fork · degree · fine · bay · firm · pop · content · chair

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. firm — a company
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. pop — music
  5. fine — all right
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. chair — a leader
  8. fine — high quality
  9. pop — soda
  10. degree — from a university
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. content — the amount
  13. degree — temperature
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. fork — in a road
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. content — happy
  20. degree — an amount
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. firm — decided
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. firm — steady

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