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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. drill — the tool
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. root — of a plant
  7. drill — army training
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. roll — a list
  10. sharp — clever
  11. roll — a cake
  12. content — happy
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. deal — to handle
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. date — the fruit
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. drill — a practice
  21. content — the amount
  22. root — the cause
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. root — of a word

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