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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. root — of a word
  4. board — to get on
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. root — of a plant
  8. sharp — clever
  9. dip — to sink
  10. content — happy
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. mine — for digging
  13. root — the cause
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. board — a committee
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. content — the amount
  24. jam — in traffic

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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