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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: kick · fine · date · root · pitcher · mark · saw · content

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. mark — a grade
  3. root — of a word
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. content — the amount
  6. kick — in football
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. root — of a plant
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. date — the fruit
  20. saw — the tool
  21. root — the cause
  22. content — happy
  23. fine — all right
  24. fine — high quality

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