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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: jam · content · hand · track · root · face · scale · band

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. track — to keep track
  3. face — to point toward
  4. track — a path
  5. content — the amount
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. scale — size or range
  9. band — a music group
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. hand — in cards
  14. face — to confront
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. track — a song
  17. band — a ring
  18. scale — in music
  19. root — of a plant
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. hand — help
  22. face — part of the head
  23. content — happy
  24. root — of a word

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