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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. mate — to breed
  3. cue — a signal
  4. firm — a company
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. object — a thing
  8. root — of a word
  9. cue — a hint
  10. bark — to shout
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. key — for a lock
  13. firm — steady
  14. key — in music
  15. mate — a friend
  16. object — to protest
  17. root — of a plant
  18. content — happy
  19. mate — a partner
  20. object — an aim
  21. cue — for pool
  22. root — the cause
  23. firm — decided
  24. key — the most important part

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