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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. root — of a word
  5. root — the cause
  6. fine — all right
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. wax — to grow
  9. firm — a company
  10. fine — high quality
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. content — happy
  13. firm — decided
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. root — of a plant
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. firm — steady

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