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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. bound — obliged
  3. land — a country
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. root — of a word
  6. root — of a plant
  7. content — the amount
  8. cue — for pool
  9. perch — the fish
  10. bound — certain
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bound — tied together
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. land — ground
  15. content — happy
  16. suit — to fit
  17. bear — the animal
  18. land — to come down
  19. suit — clothes
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. cue — a signal
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. cue — a hint
  24. root — the cause

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