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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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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: content · bowl · nail · track · trunk · rest · degree · ball

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. rest — a break
  3. content — the amount
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. degree — from a university
  6. ball — a great time
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. track — a path
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. rest — what's left
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. content — happy
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. track — a song
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. track — to keep track
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. rest — what's left
  23. degree — an amount
  24. ball — a dance

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