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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 120 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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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. chip — to eat
  4. mark — a grade
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. rush — hurry
  7. chip — for betting
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. pass — a permit
  10. capital — a city
  11. bulb — for light
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. bulb — for light
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. capital — money
  19. root — of a word
  20. content — the amount
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. mark — a trace
  23. root — the cause
  24. rush — a thrill

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