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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. root — of a word
  3. season — of the year
  4. rash — a series
  5. root — the cause
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. root — of a plant
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. rash — hasty
  10. content — happy
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. content — the amount
  13. cap — of ice
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. bass — low music
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. season — in sport
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. cap — a lid
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. cap — a hat

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