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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: track · root · content · straw · tube · bore · fall · capital

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. capital — money
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. bore — to drill
  6. capital — a city
  7. track — a path
  8. fall — the season
  9. content — the amount
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. root — the cause
  12. root — of a word
  13. tube — the underground
  14. tube — a container
  15. track — a song
  16. bore — to tire
  17. root — of a plant
  18. content — happy
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. fall — to drop
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. track — to keep track

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