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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: content · root · racket · saw · shower · safe · field · can

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. shower — to wash
  3. content — happy
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. root — of a plant
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. can — a tin
  9. root — the cause
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. field — farmland
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. field — for sport
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. shower — rain
  17. saw — the tool
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. can — a tin
  20. saw — the tool
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. field — a subject
  23. can — to be able to
  24. content — the amount

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