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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: ball · file · stem · drill · mug · jam · leaves · content

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. drill — a practice
  5. file — a line of people
  6. content — the amount
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. mug — a cup
  10. mug — to rob
  11. content — happy
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. ball — a great time
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. drill — the tool
  16. drill — army training
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. ball — a dance
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. file — a tool
  21. file — a document
  22. stem — to come from
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. mug — a face

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