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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.

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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. firm — decided
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. key — in music
  6. root — of a plant
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. root — of a word
  9. key — the most important part
  10. content — the amount
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. bat — the animal
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. root — the cause
  17. mine — for digging
  18. key — for a lock
  19. sharp — clever
  20. firm — steady
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. content — happy
  24. sharp — with an edge

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