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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: club · root · content · sharp · mug · pop · spell · foot

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. pop — music
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. club — for dancing
  6. spell — magic
  7. pop — to visit
  8. club — for golf
  9. club — a group
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. root — of a plant
  12. root — of a word
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. mug — to rob
  15. foot — a measure
  16. mug — a cup
  17. pop — soda
  18. sharp — clever
  19. spell — letters
  20. spell — a short time
  21. content — the amount
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. mug — a face
  24. root — the cause

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