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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. root — of a plant
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mine — for digging
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. saw — the tool
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. content — happy
  12. saw — the tool
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. squash — the sport
  17. chair — a leader
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. root — the cause
  22. root — of a word
  23. squash — to crush
  24. pitcher — a jug

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