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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. mine — for digging
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. root — of a word
  9. chair — a leader
  10. scale — in music
  11. root — of a plant
  12. scale — size or range
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. game — a match
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. spring — a coil
  17. game — wild animals
  18. spring — of water
  19. content — the amount
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. pass — a permit
  23. spring — the season
  24. content — happy

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