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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. rush — hurry
  3. content — happy
  4. present — there
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. present — the time now
  7. present — a gift
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. chip — for betting
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. rock — music
  12. pit — in a race
  13. content — the amount
  14. root — of a plant
  15. ball — a dance
  16. root — the cause
  17. chip — to eat
  18. root — of a word
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. rock — a stone
  22. pit — a hole
  23. ball — a great time
  24. rush — to hurry

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