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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. bat — the animal
  3. rash — hasty
  4. firm — steady
  5. firm — decided
  6. root — of a word
  7. can — to be able to
  8. date — the fruit
  9. firm — a company
  10. content — the amount
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. can — a tin
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. fine — high quality
  18. root — the cause
  19. fine — all right
  20. can — a tin
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. root — of a plant
  23. content — happy
  24. rash — a series

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