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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. land — to come down
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. field — for sport
  5. land — ground
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. stem — to come from
  8. content — the amount
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. land — a country
  14. field — farmland
  15. rush — hurry
  16. content — happy
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. field — a subject

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