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

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. tube — the underground
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. chair — a leader
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. content — the amount
  8. content — happy
  9. date — the fruit
  10. tube — a container
  11. press — a publisher
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. press — newspapers
  18. rock — a stone
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. pass — a permit
  22. rock — music
  23. stem — to come from
  24. press — to push

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