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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.

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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: kick · root · squash · content · board · kid · deal · clip

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. content — the amount
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. clip — a video
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. deal — to handle
  7. kid — child
  8. root — of a plant
  9. squash — to crush
  10. root — the cause
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. clip — to cut
  15. board — to get on
  16. clip — for paper
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. squash — the sport
  20. kick — in football
  21. content — happy
  22. kid — to tease
  23. root — of a word
  24. board — a committee

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