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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. root — the cause
  3. hand — in cards
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. mate — to breed
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. chip — for betting
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. chip — to eat
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. hand — help
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. track — a song
  16. root — of a plant
  17. root — of a word
  18. content — the amount
  19. track — to keep track
  20. mate — a friend
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. content — happy
  24. track — a path

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