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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 116 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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. mark — a trace
  3. object — a thing
  4. chip — for betting
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. root — of a word
  7. mark — a grade
  8. chip — to eat
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. bore — to tire
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. object — an aim
  14. bore — to drill
  15. season — in sport
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. rule — government
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. root — of a plant
  20. content — happy
  21. rule — a law
  22. object — to protest
  23. season — of the year
  24. root — the cause

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