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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. land — ground
  3. drill — army training
  4. root — of a plant
  5. suit — in cards
  6. content — the amount
  7. suit — to fit
  8. suit — clothes
  9. drill — the tool
  10. mate — to breed
  11. fine — all right
  12. chest — of your body
  13. land — a country
  14. chest — of your body
  15. fine — high quality
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. mate — a friend
  18. content — happy
  19. drill — a practice
  20. root — the cause
  21. root — of a word
  22. chest — a box
  23. land — to come down
  24. mate — a partner

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