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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. mark — a trace
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bound — obliged
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. bound — tied together
  9. game — a match
  10. root — of a word
  11. content — happy
  12. content — the amount
  13. rest — what's left
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. rest — what's left
  16. mark — a grade
  17. bound — certain
  18. game — wild animals
  19. root — of a plant
  20. chair — a leader
  21. rest — a break
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. root — the cause
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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