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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. land — ground
  3. squash — to crush
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. content — the amount
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. fine — high quality
  9. root — the cause
  10. rash — a series
  11. rash — hasty
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. fine — all right
  14. squash — the sport
  15. land — to come down
  16. root — of a plant
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. root — of a word
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. land — a country
  23. content — happy
  24. fine — a penalty

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