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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. staff — employees
  3. staff — a stick
  4. fine — all right
  5. bore — to tire
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. current — of water
  8. current — happening now
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. root — of a word
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. content — happy
  13. fine — high quality
  14. content — the amount
  15. bore — to drill
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. staff — employees
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. root — the cause
  23. saw — the tool
  24. current — electric

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