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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. bank — of a river
  3. cue — a hint
  4. root — the cause
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. bank — for money
  7. cue — a signal
  8. content — the amount
  9. content — happy
  10. suit — clothes
  11. suit — in cards
  12. charge — in control
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. root — of a plant
  15. clip — a video
  16. root — of a word
  17. clip — to cut
  18. cue — for pool
  19. charge — electricity
  20. charge — a price
  21. dip — to sink
  22. bank — for money
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. clip — for paper

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