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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: ball · wave · root · sharp · pit · content · mine · firm

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. firm — steady
  6. ball — a great time
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. firm — a company
  9. ball — a dance
  10. pit — in a race
  11. root — the cause
  12. root — of a plant
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. firm — decided
  15. content — the amount
  16. pit — a hole
  17. mine — for digging
  18. root — of a word
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. content — happy
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. wave — of the sea

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