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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. chair — a leader
  3. root — of a word
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. craft — a skill
  6. content — the amount
  7. root — the cause
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. fine — high quality
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. season — in sport
  13. deal — to handle
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. root — of a plant
  18. season — of the year
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. board — to get on
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. craft — boats
  23. board — a committee
  24. fine — all right

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