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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 116 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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. root — of a word
  3. root — of a plant
  4. track — a song
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. track — a path
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. deal — to handle
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. root — the cause
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. sharp — clever
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. pitch — completely
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. content — happy
  21. track — to keep track
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. content — videos and posts

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