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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: bowl · degree · squash · rock · foot · content · bark · jam

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. degree — temperature
  3. rock — a stone
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. foot — a measure
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. squash — the sport
  9. bark — to shout
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. degree — from a university
  12. content — the amount
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. rock — music
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. degree — an amount
  22. content — happy
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. squash — to crush

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