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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. root — of a plant
  3. root — the cause
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. key — the most important part
  7. cue — a signal
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. key — for a lock
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. root — of a word
  13. rock — music
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. cue — a hint
  17. rock — a stone
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. key — in music
  20. foot — a measure
  21. cue — for pool
  22. chair — a leader
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. content — the amount

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