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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 · snap · land · nail · degree · sharp · board · mug

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. degree — an amount
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. degree — temperature
  6. board — to get on
  7. content — the amount
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. land — ground
  10. board — a committee
  11. sharp — clever
  12. mug — to rob
  13. mug — a cup
  14. land — a country
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. snap — to click
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. land — to come down
  20. content — happy
  21. degree — from a university
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. mug — a face

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