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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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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: fall · ball · deal · game · stem · wake · pass · content

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. fall — the season
  3. content — happy
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. stem — to come from
  10. game — wild animals
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. fall — to drop
  13. wake — a trail
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. deal — to handle
  17. pass — a permit
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. game — a match
  20. ball — a dance
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. fall — to drop
  23. content — the amount
  24. ball — a great time

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