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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: mug · field · root · content · mark · fork · lash · mate

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. mate — a partner
  3. field — for sport
  4. mate — to breed
  5. mate — a friend
  6. root — of a plant
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. mark — a grade
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. content — the amount
  12. fork — in a road
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. content — happy
  15. root — the cause
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. field — a subject
  19. mark — a trace
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. mug — a cup
  22. field — farmland
  23. mug — a face
  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