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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 · temple · content · date · land · pop · dip · root

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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. date — on the calendar
  4. land — to come down
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. pop — soda
  8. root — the cause
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. dip — to sink
  11. content — happy
  12. content — the amount
  13. root — of a plant
  14. pop — music
  15. land — ground
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. root — of a word
  18. date — the fruit
  19. tube — the underground
  20. land — a country
  21. pop — to visit
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. tube — in a tire

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