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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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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. content — happy
  3. band — a music group
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. suit — clothes
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. band — a ring
  8. content — the amount
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. rule — a law
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. suit — in cards
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. cue — for pool
  15. rule — government
  16. land — to come down
  17. cue — a signal
  18. land — a country
  19. stand — to bear
  20. stem — to come from
  21. suit — to fit
  22. land — ground
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. cue — a hint

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