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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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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: kick · perch · dip · mine · content · firm · bay · degree

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. dip — to sink
  4. mine — for digging
  5. firm — decided
  6. perch — the fish
  7. firm — a company
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. degree — temperature
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. degree — from a university
  14. degree — an amount
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. content — happy
  18. content — the amount
  19. kick — in football
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. firm — steady
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. dip — to dunk

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