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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. shower — to wash
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. cell — a phone
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. content — happy
  8. bass — the fish
  9. ball — a dance
  10. ball — a great time
  11. cell — in biology
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. root — of a word
  14. content — the amount
  15. shower — rain
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. root — the cause
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. bass — low music
  21. toast — bread
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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