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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  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 — the cause
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. sharp — clever
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. root — of a word
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. content — the amount
  14. content — happy
  15. club — for golf
  16. club — for dancing
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. suit — clothes
  19. club — a group
  20. cold — not warm
  21. cold — an illness
  22. suit — to fit
  23. suit — in cards
  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