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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  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. root — of a word
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. kid — child
  6. current — electric
  7. can — a tin
  8. root — of a plant
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. bear — the animal
  13. content — the amount
  14. can — to be able to
  15. kid — to tease
  16. dip — to sink
  17. current — happening now
  18. root — the cause
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. bear — the animal
  21. current — of water
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. can — a tin
  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