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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.

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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: race · content · degree · trunk · spell · club · bay · file

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. spell — a short time
  3. spell — letters
  4. spell — magic
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. file — a document
  8. content — the amount
  9. degree — temperature
  10. degree — from a university
  11. race — a contest
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. race — humankind
  14. degree — an amount
  15. file — a line of people
  16. club — a group
  17. content — happy
  18. file — a tool
  19. race — the arms race
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. club — for golf
  23. club — for dancing
  24. trunk — of a car

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