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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. root — the cause
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. track — to keep track
  5. content — happy
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. bore — to tire
  9. track — a song
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. kid — to tease
  12. bear — the animal
  13. suit — to fit
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. bear — the animal
  16. kid — child
  17. suit — clothes
  18. root — of a plant
  19. suit — in cards
  20. content — the amount
  21. track — a path
  22. prune — to trim
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. bore — to drill

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