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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: content · degree · land · lash · dip · track · mate · suit

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. track — a song
  3. degree — from a university
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. suit — in cards
  6. degree — an amount
  7. suit — to fit
  8. land — ground
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. suit — clothes
  11. land — a country
  12. degree — temperature
  13. content — the amount
  14. mate — a friend
  15. mate — to breed
  16. mate — a partner
  17. dip — to sink
  18. land — to come down
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. track — a path
  24. content — happy

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