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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. toast — bread
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. root — of a plant
  5. root — the cause
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. court — for sport
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. root — of a word
  11. fork — in a road
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. court — of law
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. kick — in football
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. court — of a king
  19. content — happy
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. temple — a place of worship

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