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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. root — of a plant
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. season — in sport
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. content — happy
  9. root — of a word
  10. content — the amount
  11. kick — in football
  12. chair — a leader
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. root — the cause
  20. shower — to wash
  21. ball — a great time
  22. shower — rain
  23. ball — a dance
  24. chair — a professorship

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