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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: mine · can · fork · mug · date · content · root · rest

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. mine — for digging
  6. can — to be able to
  7. mug — a face
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — a tin
  11. root — of a word
  12. fork — in a road
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. root — the cause
  16. rest — what's left
  17. mug — a cup
  18. root — of a plant
  19. content — the amount
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. mug — to rob
  22. date — the fruit
  23. content — happy
  24. rest — a break

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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