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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: content · court · object · ruler · face · root · coach · tube

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. tube — a container
  4. object — an aim
  5. court — of law
  6. face — to point toward
  7. object — to protest
  8. court — for sport
  9. content — the amount
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. object — a thing
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. face — part of the head
  14. face — to confront
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. court — of a king
  17. tube — the underground
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. content — happy
  20. root — the cause
  21. root — of a word
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. root — of a plant
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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