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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. root — of a word
  3. content — the amount
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. root — the cause
  6. root — of a plant
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. rash — a series
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. pound — a weight
  13. rash — hasty
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. fine — all right
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. fine — high quality
  24. safe — out of danger

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