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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.

Words on the sheet
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: root · can · spell · press · content · mouse · capital · game

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. press — to push
  3. game — a match
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. can — a tin
  6. root — of a word
  7. spell — magic
  8. spell — letters
  9. content — the amount
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. spell — a short time
  14. game — wild animals
  15. press — newspapers
  16. capital — a city
  17. root — of a plant
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. content — happy
  20. press — a publisher
  21. capital — money
  22. can — a tin
  23. root — the cause
  24. can — to be able to

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