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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. suit — to fit
  3. root — the cause
  4. content — the amount
  5. suit — clothes
  6. charge — in control
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. game — wild animals
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. dip — to sink
  11. charge — a price
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. content — happy
  14. net — for catching
  15. root — of a word
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. root — of a plant
  19. charge — electricity
  20. net — after costs
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. suit — in cards
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. game — a match

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