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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. root — of a word
  4. clip — to cut
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. stand — to bear
  11. pound — a weight
  12. tube — the underground
  13. root — of a plant
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. ground — crushed
  18. clip — for paper
  19. tube — a container
  20. ground — a position
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. clip — a video
  24. ground — the earth

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