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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 116 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
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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 · hide · race · bore · game · degree · ruler · can

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  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. game — a match
  2. bore — to drill
  3. degree — an amount
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. race — a contest
  6. content — happy
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. game — wild animals
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. race — humankind
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. can — to be able to
  15. content — the amount
  16. can — a tin
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. bore — to tire
  20. race — the arms race
  21. degree — from a university
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. can — a tin
  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