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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 116 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: root · dip · season · content · rock · cue · suit · court

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. cue — a signal
  5. cue — for pool
  6. season — of the year
  7. content — happy
  8. dip — to sink
  9. rock — a stone
  10. suit — to fit
  11. root — of a word
  12. content — the amount
  13. rock — music
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. court — for sport
  17. cue — a hint
  18. root — the cause
  19. court — of law
  20. root — of a plant
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. season — in sport
  23. suit — clothes
  24. suit — in cards

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