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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.

Make a worksheet

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
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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: press · capital · date · content · root · safe · leaves · net

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. net — in sport
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. content — the amount
  5. capital — money
  6. net — for catching
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. net — after costs
  10. press — a publisher
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. press — newspapers
  15. content — happy
  16. root — of a word
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. press — to push
  21. root — the cause
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. date — the fruit
  24. capital — a city

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