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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: tube · object · scale · root · face · current · content · patient

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. content — the amount
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. root — of a plant
  7. current — happening now
  8. root — the cause
  9. face — to confront
  10. current — electric
  11. face — part of the head
  12. root — of a word
  13. tube — a container
  14. scale — size or range
  15. content — happy
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. current — of water
  18. scale — in music
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. face — to point toward
  22. tube — the underground
  23. object — to protest
  24. object — an aim

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