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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. stock — shares
  4. face — to point toward
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. ball — a great time
  9. face — to confront
  10. ball — a dance
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. spell — magic
  13. spell — letters
  14. root — the cause
  15. content — the amount
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. root — of a word
  18. spell — a short time
  19. content — happy
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. face — part of the head
  23. stock — goods
  24. content — videos and posts

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