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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. root — of a word
  3. root — of a plant
  4. ground — crushed
  5. ground — a position
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. root — the cause
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. spell — magic
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. spell — letters
  14. pitch — completely
  15. content — happy
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. mark — a grade
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. fork — in a road
  21. spell — a short time
  22. content — the amount
  23. mark — a trace
  24. ground — the earth

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