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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: content · pitcher · bowl · firm · key · snap · stem · ruler

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. key — the most important part
  5. content — happy
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. key — for a lock
  8. firm — decided
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. firm — a company
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. content — the amount
  14. key — in music
  15. stem — to come from
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. firm — steady
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. snap — to click
  24. pitcher — a jug

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