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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. content — happy
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. bank — for money
  5. root — of a plant
  6. chip — to eat
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. cold — an illness
  9. root — the cause
  10. can — a tin
  11. net — in sport
  12. root — of a word
  13. net — after costs
  14. chip — for betting
  15. can — a tin
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. bank — of a river
  19. can — to be able to
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. cold — not warm
  22. content — the amount
  23. bank — for money
  24. racket — for tennis

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