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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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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: content · root · jam · bat · club · roll · suit · toast

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. club — a group
  3. suit — in cards
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. suit — to fit
  6. root — of a word
  7. club — for dancing
  8. roll — a list
  9. content — happy
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. toast — bread
  13. club — for golf
  14. root — of a plant
  15. content — the amount
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. roll — a cake
  18. bat — the animal
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. suit — clothes
  24. root — the cause

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