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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: bear · ball · content · racket · arm · present · mark · root

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. present — the time now
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. mark — a trace
  5. root — of a word
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. root — of a plant
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. ball — a dance
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. present — a gift
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. root — the cause
  20. present — there
  21. content — the amount
  22. bear — the animal
  23. ball — a great time
  24. content — happy

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