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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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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 · key · pound · content · root · stem · race · wax

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. key — the most important part
  6. race — the arms race
  7. root — the cause
  8. key — in music
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. stem — to come from
  11. tube — a container
  12. content — the amount
  13. root — of a plant
  14. key — for a lock
  15. race — humankind
  16. wax — to grow
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. content — happy
  19. root — of a word
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. tube — the underground
  24. pound — a weight

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