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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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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: wave · racket · season · craft · content · capital · chip · root

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. content — the amount
  3. season — of the year
  4. root — of a word
  5. capital — money
  6. craft — boats
  7. season — in sport
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. craft — a skill
  12. root — the cause
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. content — happy
  15. capital — a city
  16. chip — for betting
  17. chip — to eat
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. root — of a plant
  24. racket — for tennis

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