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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. content — the amount
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. bore — to tire
  7. bore — to drill
  8. pop — soda
  9. root — of a plant
  10. tube — the underground
  11. pop — music
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. content — happy
  14. bound — obliged
  15. stem — to come from
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. tube — a container
  18. pop — to visit
  19. bound — certain
  20. firm — steady
  21. root — the cause
  22. bound — tied together
  23. firm — a company
  24. root — of a word

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