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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 · stem · bear · rush · saw · firm · rule · content

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. firm — a company
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. ball — a great time
  8. bear — the animal
  9. content — the amount
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. firm — decided
  12. bear — the animal
  13. firm — steady
  14. saw — the tool
  15. rule — a law
  16. stem — to come from
  17. saw — the tool
  18. content — happy
  19. rule — government
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. ball — a dance
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. rush — hurry

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