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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. can — to be able to
  3. root — of a plant
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. content — the amount
  8. cell — a phone
  9. cell — in biology
  10. stand — to bear
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. root — the cause
  13. prune — to trim
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. can — a tin
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. can — a tin
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. staff — employees
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — a stick
  24. root — of a word

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