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

Word bank: rule · content · fork · present · stem · snap

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. present — there
  3. rule — a law
  4. present — a gift
  5. present — the time now
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. content — the amount
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. content — happy
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. snap — to click
  15. fork — in a road
  16. rule — government
  17. stem — to come from
  18. rule — to rule out

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