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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 116 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 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. root — of a word
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fine — all right
  5. wake — a trail
  6. bark — to shout
  7. bore — to tire
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. bore — to drill
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. root — of a plant
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. chip — for betting
  21. chip — to eat
  22. fine — high quality
  23. root — the cause
  24. content — the amount

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