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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. season — in sport
  3. suit — to fit
  4. season — of the year
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. content — the amount
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. cue — for pool
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. band — a music group
  12. root — of a plant
  13. root — of a word
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. content — happy
  17. suit — clothes
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. band — a ring
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. cue — a signal
  22. root — the cause
  23. cue — a hint
  24. suit — in cards

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