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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 120 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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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: root · kid · cell · racket · content · can · bear · safe

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. root — the cause
  4. bear — the animal
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. cell — a phone
  7. root — of a plant
  8. content — happy
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. root — of a word
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. can — to be able to
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. cell — in biology
  17. kid — child
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. kid — to tease
  21. bear — the animal
  22. can — a tin
  23. content — the amount
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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