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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 120 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: content · court · rock · bulb · pass · staff · land · stem

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. court — of law
  3. land — a country
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. land — to come down
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. content — happy
  10. bulb — for light
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — employees
  13. land — ground
  14. pass — a permit
  15. court — of a king
  16. bulb — for light
  17. staff — a stick
  18. rock — music
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. court — for sport
  21. rock — a stone
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. stem — to come from
  24. pass — to succeed

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