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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. root — of a word
  3. root — of a plant
  4. board — to get on
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. date — the fruit
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. root — the cause
  12. board — a committee
  13. bear — the animal
  14. prune — to trim
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. content — happy
  18. bat — the animal
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. bear — the animal
  24. prune — to trim

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