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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 120 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: root · content · tube · pop · hide · cap · coach · wave

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. tube — the underground
  5. root — of a plant
  6. pop — music
  7. root — of a word
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. tube — a container
  11. cap — of ice
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. content — the amount
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. cap — a lid
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. pop — soda
  18. pop — to visit
  19. content — happy
  20. cap — a hat
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. hide — to keep secret

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