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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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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: chest · pop · trunk · cabinet · deal · content · root · mouse

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. chest — of your body
  4. root — of a plant
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. pop — music
  9. root — of a word
  10. chest — a box
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. deal — to handle
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. content — happy
  15. pop — soda
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. content — the amount
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. root — the cause
  23. chest — of your body
  24. pop — to visit

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