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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 · root · suit · rush · drill · present · chair · season

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. season — of the year
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. drill — army training
  6. content — happy
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. drill — a practice
  9. root — of a word
  10. suit — in cards
  11. season — in sport
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. chair — a leader
  14. suit — to fit
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. present — the time now
  17. content — the amount
  18. root — the cause
  19. present — a gift
  20. root — of a plant
  21. drill — the tool
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. suit — clothes
  24. present — there

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