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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: mark · stem · bat · club · rock · bass · hand · content

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. bass — the fish
  5. content — happy
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. bass — low music
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. rock — a stone
  12. content — the amount
  13. hand — help
  14. bat — the animal
  15. mark — a trace
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. club — for golf
  18. club — a group
  19. mark — a grade
  20. club — for dancing
  21. rock — music
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. hand — in cards
  24. stem — to come from

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