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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. key — in music
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. rule — government
  5. tube — a container
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. rash — a series
  8. object — a thing
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. root — the cause
  11. key — for a lock
  12. object — to protest
  13. content — the amount
  14. object — an aim
  15. rule — a law
  16. root — of a plant
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. content — happy
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. key — the most important part
  22. date — the fruit
  23. rash — hasty
  24. tube — the underground

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