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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. root — of a word
  3. content — the amount
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. firm — steady
  6. firm — a company
  7. pop — music
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. craft — a skill
  10. press — newspapers
  11. press — to push
  12. capital — a city
  13. net — in sport
  14. pop — to visit
  15. craft — boats
  16. root — of a plant
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. net — for catching
  19. capital — money
  20. firm — decided
  21. net — after costs
  22. press — a publisher
  23. content — happy
  24. pop — soda

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