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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. content — the amount
  3. root — the cause
  4. saw — the tool
  5. kick — in football
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. pop — music
  9. content — happy
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. saw — the tool
  12. perch — the fish
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. key — for a lock
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. root — of a word
  17. pop — to visit
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. key — in music
  22. key — the most important part
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. root — of a plant

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