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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. present — there
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. root — the cause
  5. cap — of ice
  6. content — happy
  7. root — of a plant
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. key — in music
  10. bound — tied together
  11. cap — a hat
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. key — for a lock
  15. bound — certain
  16. key — the most important part
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. present — the time now
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. content — the amount
  21. bound — obliged
  22. mine — for digging
  23. root — of a word
  24. cap — a lid

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