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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
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: ball · rash · root · content · safe · stem · jam · cap

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. stem — to come from
  3. root — of a word
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. root — of a plant
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. content — the amount
  10. content — happy
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. cap — of ice
  14. root — the cause
  15. ball — a great time
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. cap — a hat
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. rash — hasty
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. rash — a series
  24. cap — a lid

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