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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. content — the amount
  3. land — to come down
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. root — of a plant
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. current — happening now
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. content — happy
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. root — the cause
  16. land — ground
  17. mark — a grade
  18. land — a country
  19. current — of water
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. root — of a word
  22. mark — a trace
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. current — electric

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