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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. deal — to handle
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. tube — a container
  8. tube — the underground
  9. root — of a word
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. content — happy
  12. root — of a plant
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. cell — in biology
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. content — the amount
  19. pop — to visit
  20. pop — soda
  21. root — the cause
  22. scale — in music
  23. pop — music
  24. cell — a phone

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