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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 116 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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. net — in sport
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. stock — shares
  5. root — of a word
  6. bore — to drill
  7. dip — to sink
  8. field — a subject
  9. content — the amount
  10. net — for catching
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. field — farmland
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. root — of a plant
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. stock — goods
  18. net — after costs
  19. root — the cause
  20. field — for sport
  21. bore — to tire
  22. content — happy
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. dip — to dunk

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