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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 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. content — the amount
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. drill — a practice
  8. chip — to eat
  9. drill — the tool
  10. root — the cause
  11. drill — army training
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. chip — for betting
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. date — the fruit
  19. content — happy
  20. sharp — clever
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. dip — to sink
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. root — of a plant

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