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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 116 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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. sharp — clever
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. root — the cause
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. court — of a king
  9. court — of law
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. face — to point toward
  12. face — to confront
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. face — part of the head
  17. content — the amount
  18. root — of a plant
  19. root — of a word
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. content — happy
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. court — for sport
  24. mouse — the animal

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