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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 120 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: leaves · root · bear · game · fall · content · bowl · current

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. game — a match
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. fall — to drop
  10. root — of a word
  11. content — happy
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — the animal
  14. current — happening now
  15. fall — the season
  16. content — the amount
  17. game — wild animals
  18. fall — to drop
  19. current — of water
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. current — electric
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. root — of a plant

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