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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. content — happy
  5. kick — in football
  6. court — of law
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. root — the cause
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. content — the amount
  14. root — of a plant
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. court — for sport
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. craft — boats
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. craft — a skill
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. court — of a king
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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