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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: clip · root · court · wake · content · suit

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. wake — a trail
  3. clip — a video
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. root — of a plant
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. suit — to fit
  8. clip — for paper
  9. court — for sport
  10. court — of a king
  11. clip — to cut
  12. content — the amount
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. suit — in cards
  15. root — the cause
  16. court — of law
  17. content — happy
  18. suit — clothes

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