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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  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 plant
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. court — for sport
  4. root — of a word
  5. track — a path
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. cap — of ice
  8. rest — what's left
  9. root — the cause
  10. rest — a break
  11. track — a song
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. cap — a lid
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. content — the amount
  16. court — of a king
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. track — to keep track
  20. court — of law
  21. cap — a hat
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. rest — what's left
  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