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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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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. firm — a company
  3. lean — thin
  4. bore — to drill
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. root — the cause
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. capital — money
  11. root — of a plant
  12. firm — steady
  13. bore — to tire
  14. rash — a series
  15. rash — hasty
  16. lean — to bend
  17. root — of a word
  18. tube — the underground
  19. capital — a city
  20. can — to be able to
  21. can — a tin
  22. firm — decided
  23. can — a tin
  24. tube — in a tire

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