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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. key — for a lock
  4. content — the amount
  5. mark — a grade
  6. charge — electricity
  7. key — in music
  8. mark — a trace
  9. content — happy
  10. current — electric
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. root — of a plant
  13. dip — to sink
  14. root — of a word
  15. current — happening now
  16. charge — a price
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. charge — in control
  20. root — the cause
  21. current — of water
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. key — the most important part
  24. content — videos and posts

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