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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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468
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: stick · ground · content · racket · spell · plane · fine · root

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. ground — the earth
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. root — of a word
  7. ground — a position
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. root — of a plant
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. spell — magic
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. plane — a tool
  16. fine — high quality
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. content — the amount
  19. ground — crushed
  20. spell — a short time
  21. root — the cause
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. spell — letters
  24. fine — all right

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