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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. field — farmland
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. band — a ring
  6. field — a subject
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. field — for sport
  9. ball — a great time
  10. root — the cause
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. deal — to handle
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. dip — to sink
  16. root — of a plant
  17. root — of a word
  18. content — the amount
  19. suit — in cards
  20. band — a music group
  21. suit — clothes
  22. suit — to fit
  23. ball — a dance
  24. content — happy

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