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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 120 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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. tear — from crying
  3. board — to get on
  4. tube — the underground
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. content — the amount
  7. field — farmland
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. tube — a container
  10. root — of a word
  11. tear — to rip
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. field — a subject
  14. root — the cause
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. board — a committee
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. root — of a plant
  20. field — for sport
  21. content — happy
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. tear — from crying

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