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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. content — happy
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. suit — to fit
  6. root — of a word
  7. bore — to drill
  8. sharp — clever
  9. net — after costs
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. saw — the tool
  14. net — for catching
  15. root — the cause
  16. net — in sport
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. suit — clothes
  19. suit — in cards
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. root — of a plant
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. content — the amount
  24. bay — a horse colour

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