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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.

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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. pop — soda
  3. root — of a plant
  4. ground — crushed
  5. ball — a dance
  6. content — happy
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. ground — the earth
  9. root — the cause
  10. kick — in football
  11. root — of a word
  12. cue — a signal
  13. content — the amount
  14. cue — for pool
  15. ball — a great time
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. cue — a hint
  18. board — to get on
  19. pop — to visit
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. board — a committee
  22. pop — music
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. ground — a position

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