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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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Word bank
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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. content — the amount
  4. root — of a plant
  5. staff — employees
  6. content — happy
  7. wind — moving air
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. present — the time now
  10. present — a gift
  11. wind — moving air
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. root — the cause
  14. staff — employees
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — to recline
  17. game — wild animals
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. staff — a stick
  20. present — there
  21. root — of a word
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. lie — an untruth

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