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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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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: cap · root · rock · saw · plane · key · bowl · content

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. content — happy
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. rock — a stone
  5. key — in music
  6. cap — of ice
  7. plane — a tool
  8. root — the cause
  9. cap — a lid
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. cap — a hat
  13. saw — the tool
  14. content — the amount
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. root — of a plant
  21. key — the most important part
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. key — for a lock
  24. root — of a word

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