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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 bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. tube — a container
  4. root — of a plant
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. spring — the season
  7. root — the cause
  8. stock — goods
  9. scale — in music
  10. stock — shares
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. scale — size or range
  13. spring — a coil
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. root — of a word
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. tube — the underground
  18. content — the amount
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. content — happy
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. spring — of water
  24. scale — for weighing

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