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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. cue — for pool
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. root — the cause
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. deal — to handle
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. rash — hasty
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. season — in sport
  14. content — the amount
  15. cue — a signal
  16. root — of a word
  17. rock — a stone
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. rash — a series
  21. root — of a plant
  22. cue — a hint
  23. rock — music
  24. content — happy

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