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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: cell · sharp · pit · bay · root · club · content · can

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. club — for dancing
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. root — of a plant
  5. root — the cause
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. pit — in a race
  8. club — for golf
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. root — of a word
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. cell — in biology
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — a tin
  19. club — a group
  20. cell — a phone
  21. sharp — clever
  22. can — to be able to
  23. content — happy
  24. pit — a hole

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