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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. root — the cause
  3. track — a path
  4. bank — for money
  5. content — the amount
  6. track — to keep track
  7. dip — to sink
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. vault — a safe
  10. bank — for money
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. content — happy
  13. cap — a hat
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. row — to paddle
  16. bank — of a river
  17. cap — of ice
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. track — a song
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. row — a line
  22. root — of a word
  23. cap — a lid
  24. root — of a plant

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