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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. ground — crushed
  3. bear — the animal
  4. content — happy
  5. bound — certain
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. root — of a plant
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bear — the animal
  11. ground — the earth
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. root — the cause
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. pop — music
  16. ground — a position
  17. pop — to visit
  18. pop — soda
  19. content — the amount
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bound — tied together
  22. fork — in a road
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. temple — a place of worship

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