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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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. pit — in a race
  5. mark — a trace
  6. root — of a plant
  7. content — happy
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. pit — a hole
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. mark — a grade
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. root — of a word
  16. root — the cause
  17. content — the amount
  18. bore — to drill
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. bat — the animal
  21. chair — a leader
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. bore — to tire
  24. bore — gave birth

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