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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 · mine · rush · sharp · content · lie · racket · pop

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. mine — for digging
  4. lie — to recline
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. pop — to visit
  7. root — of a word
  8. sharp — clever
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. content — happy
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. content — the amount
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. root — the cause
  18. pop — soda
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. rush — hurry
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. pop — music
  24. racket — for tennis

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