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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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Word bank
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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: dip · deal · stem · bark · rock · content

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. rock — a stone
  5. rock — music
  6. content — happy
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. dip — to sink
  12. stem — to come from
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. bark — to shout
  18. deal — to handle

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