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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: content · tube · ball · foot · saw · hide · staff · degree

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. staff — a stick
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. degree — from a university
  5. ball — a great time
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. ball — a dance
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. saw — the tool
  10. tube — a container
  11. degree — temperature
  12. saw — the tool
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. content — the amount
  17. staff — employees
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. staff — employees
  20. content — happy
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. tube — the underground
  23. degree — an amount
  24. tube — in a tire

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