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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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. root — the cause
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. rest — a break
  5. land — ground
  6. cap — a lid
  7. root — of a word
  8. content — happy
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. content — the amount
  11. root — of a plant
  12. tube — a container
  13. rest — what's left
  14. cap — of ice
  15. land — to come down
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. cap — a hat
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. tube — the underground
  22. land — a country
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. content — videos and posts

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