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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: ruler · can · game · tube · stick · pop · drill · stem

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. pop — music
  3. drill — army training
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. pop — soda
  7. tube — a container
  8. pop — to visit
  9. stem — to come from
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. game — a match
  16. drill — the tool
  17. can — to be able to
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. tube — the underground
  21. can — a tin
  22. drill — a practice
  23. can — a tin
  24. tube — in a tire

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