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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: content · mark · date · bear · mate · row · fine · root

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. fine — high quality
  3. mate — a friend
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. mate — a partner
  6. root — the cause
  7. root — of a word
  8. bear — the animal
  9. content — the amount
  10. root — of a plant
  11. fine — all right
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. row — to paddle
  14. mark — a grade
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. mark — a trace
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. bear — the animal
  20. content — happy
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. row — a line
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. date — the fruit

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