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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 116 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: pop · ruler · content · present · rest · stem

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. content — the amount
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. stem — to come from
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. present — there
  7. content — happy
  8. present — a gift
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. rest — what's left
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. pop — music
  13. present — the time now
  14. rest — a break
  15. pop — soda
  16. pop — to visit
  17. rest — what's left
  18. stem — of a plant

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