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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: temple · capital · content · sharp · chair · key · roll · root

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. roll — a cake
  4. key — in music
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. root — of a plant
  7. root — of a word
  8. key — the most important part
  9. content — the amount
  10. roll — a list
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. capital — money
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. key — for a lock
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. chair — a leader
  22. root — the cause
  23. capital — a city
  24. sharp — clever

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