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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 120 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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. capital — a city
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. root — of a word
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. root — the cause
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. spell — magic
  11. root — of a plant
  12. mug — a face
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. mug — to rob
  15. content — the amount
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. content — happy
  18. spell — a short time
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. spell — letters
  21. capital — money
  22. mug — a cup
  23. ball — a dance
  24. ball — a great time

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