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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. hand — in cards
  4. hand — help
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. root — the cause
  10. root — of a plant
  11. content — the amount
  12. root — of a word
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. content — happy
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. suit — clothes
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. suit — in cards

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