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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. content — the amount
  3. drill — a practice
  4. root — of a plant
  5. suit — to fit
  6. drill — the tool
  7. capital — money
  8. root — of a word
  9. fine — high quality
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. drill — army training
  12. root — the cause
  13. sharp — clever
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. capital — a city
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. suit — clothes
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. suit — in cards
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. fine — all right
  24. content — happy

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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