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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. swing — to play on
  4. object — an aim
  5. root — of a word
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. content — the amount
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. swing — in golf
  10. swing — music
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — to trim
  14. object — a thing
  15. content — happy
  16. fork — in a road
  17. object — to protest
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. root — of a plant
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. root — the cause
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fork — a garden tool

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