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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. mark — a grade
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. mark — a trace
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. kid — child
  8. stand — to bear
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. track — to keep track
  11. track — a path
  12. bear — the animal
  13. root — of a plant
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. content — the amount
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. root — the cause
  18. kid — to tease
  19. bear — the animal
  20. content — happy
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. root — of a word

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