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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
468
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: root · temple · ground · track · tube · craft · content · foot

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  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. track — to keep track
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. track — a path
  4. foot — a measure
  5. root — the cause
  6. root — of a word
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. root — of a plant
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. track — a song
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. ground — a position
  17. content — the amount
  18. tube — the underground
  19. craft — boats
  20. craft — a skill
  21. content — happy
  22. ground — crushed
  23. tube — a container
  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