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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. 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. root — of a plant
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. root — the cause
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. firm — decided
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. face — to point toward
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. face — part of the head
  10. band — a ring
  11. can — to be able to
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. content — the amount
  14. root — of a word
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. face — to confront
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. can — a tin
  20. band — a music group
  21. content — happy
  22. can — a tin
  23. firm — a company
  24. 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