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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: safe · degree · bore · bowl · net · content · mark · stand

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. net — in sport
  3. stand — to bear
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. mark — a grade
  6. degree — from a university
  7. degree — an amount
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. content — the amount
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. net — after costs
  14. net — for catching
  15. bore — to tire
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. bore — to drill
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. content — happy
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. degree — temperature

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