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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 116 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: mate · dip · squash · safe · content · root · game · object

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. object — an aim
  3. root — of a plant
  4. dip — to sink
  5. content — happy
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. squash — to crush
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. content — the amount
  10. mate — to breed
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. root — the cause
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. object — a thing
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. mate — a partner
  17. squash — the sport
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. root — of a word
  22. mate — a friend
  23. game — wild animals
  24. game — a match

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