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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: date · pound · lie · content · degree · stand · drill · can

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. can — a tin
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. pound — a weight
  5. drill — army training
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. drill — the tool
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. degree — an amount
  11. degree — from a university
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — to recline
  17. degree — temperature
  18. content — happy
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — to be able to
  21. stand — to bear
  22. content — the amount
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. date — the fruit

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