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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. root — the cause
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. rest — a break
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. wake — a trail
  13. content — the amount
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. rest — what's left
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. root — of a plant
  20. rest — what's left
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. root — of a word
  24. content — happy

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