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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: mug · last · content · cold · safe · root · date · jam

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. content — the amount
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. last — to go on
  8. date — the fruit
  9. last — final
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. cold — not warm
  14. content — happy
  15. cold — an illness
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. mug — a cup
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. last — finally
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. mug — a face
  22. mug — to rob
  23. root — of a plant
  24. root — of a word

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