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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
468
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: content · hide · ball · deal · mug · last · root · date

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. root — of a plant
  3. root — the cause
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. content — the amount
  9. date — the fruit
  10. mug — a face
  11. root — of a word
  12. ball — a great time
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. last — finally
  15. mug — a cup
  16. mug — to rob
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. last — to go on
  22. ball — a dance
  23. content — happy
  24. deal — to handle

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