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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 · kick · can · rash · cap · mate · root · pound

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. cap — of ice
  4. content — the amount
  5. kick — in football
  6. root — of a word
  7. cap — a hat
  8. mate — to breed
  9. can — to be able to
  10. rash — hasty
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. pound — a weight
  13. mate — a partner
  14. content — happy
  15. mate — a friend
  16. root — of a plant
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — a tin
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. rash — a series
  23. root — the cause
  24. pound — to hit hard

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