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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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. march — the month
  3. tube — the underground
  4. root — of a word
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. root — of a plant
  7. march — the month
  8. march — music
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. content — the amount
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. lean — to bend
  15. tube — a container
  16. mate — a friend
  17. lean — thin
  18. cap — a lid
  19. mate — to breed
  20. mate — a partner
  21. root — the cause
  22. cap — a hat
  23. toast — bread
  24. content — happy

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