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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: mate · date · last · suit · fan · chip · content · root

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. root — of a plant
  3. suit — in cards
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. chip — for betting
  6. mate — to breed
  7. mate — a friend
  8. root — of a word
  9. chip — to eat
  10. mate — a partner
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. last — to go on
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. suit — to fit
  17. content — the amount
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. suit — clothes
  21. date — the fruit
  22. last — finally
  23. root — the cause
  24. last — final

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