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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. root — of a plant
  4. spring — of water
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. content — the amount
  7. root — of a word
  8. root — the cause
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. content — happy
  11. spring — the season
  12. spring — a coil
  13. branch — a division
  14. track — to keep track
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. track — a song
  17. vault — a safe
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. toast — bread
  20. track — a path
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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