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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: tube · content · temple · root · march · coach · stand · patient

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. tube — a container
  3. march — the month
  4. root — of a plant
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. content — happy
  9. root — the cause
  10. content — the amount
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. tube — the underground
  16. root — of a word
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. stand — to bear
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. march — music
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. march — the month

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