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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. tube — the underground
  4. root — of a word
  5. tube — a container
  6. race — a contest
  7. drill — the tool
  8. firm — steady
  9. content — happy
  10. net — after costs
  11. race — humankind
  12. race — the arms race
  13. drill — army training
  14. content — the amount
  15. net — for catching
  16. drill — a practice
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. root — the cause
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. firm — a company
  23. root — of a plant
  24. firm — decided

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