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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.

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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: cell · jam · pitch · content · snap · drill · rule · root

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. root — the cause
  3. drill — army training
  4. drill — the tool
  5. rule — government
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. root — of a plant
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. pitch — completely
  10. content — happy
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. root — of a word
  13. drill — a practice
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. rule — a law
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. cell — a phone
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. snap — to click
  24. content — the amount

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