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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 116 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: content · tear · rock · bowl · calf · root · band · cue

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. root — the cause
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. tear — to rip
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. root — of a plant
  9. rock — a stone
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. tear — from crying
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. band — a music group
  15. cue — a hint
  16. band — a ring
  17. root — of a word
  18. cue — for pool
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. tear — from crying
  21. content — the amount
  22. cue — a signal
  23. rock — music
  24. content — happy

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