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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. root — the cause
  3. key — in music
  4. cue — a hint
  5. kid — to tease
  6. staff — employees
  7. cue — a signal
  8. key — the most important part
  9. kid — child
  10. content — happy
  11. key — for a lock
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. root — of a word
  14. bass — low music
  15. root — of a plant
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. staff — a stick
  20. stand — to bear
  21. bass — the fish
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. staff — employees
  24. cue — for pool

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