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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 put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. season — of the year
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. root — the cause
  5. season — in sport
  6. content — happy
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bass — the fish
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. pass — a permit
  14. content — the amount
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. bass — low music
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. root — of a plant
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. chair — a leader
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. foot — a measure
  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