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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 124 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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. root — of a plant
  4. bear — the animal
  5. court — for sport
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. content — the amount
  8. root — of a word
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. court — of law
  16. wind — moving air
  17. content — happy
  18. court — of a king
  19. bear — the animal
  20. wind — moving air
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. root — the cause

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