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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 124 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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. staff — employees
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. pound — a weight
  5. staff — a stick
  6. toast — bread
  7. staff — employees
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. root — the cause
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. chip — to eat
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. chip — for betting
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. content — the amount
  20. roll — a cake
  21. root — of a word
  22. root — of a plant
  23. roll — a list
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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