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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. bark — to shout
  3. rest — a break
  4. track — a path
  5. cap — a hat
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. cap — of ice
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. firm — a company
  12. content — happy
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. rest — what's left
  17. content — the amount
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. cap — a lid
  20. track — a song
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. track — to keep track
  23. firm — decided
  24. firm — steady

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