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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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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: march · ground · content · saw · staff · stem · ruler · stick

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. march — the month
  5. stem — to come from
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. saw — the tool
  8. march — the month
  9. march — music
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. staff — employees
  12. ground — crushed
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. content — happy
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ground — a position
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. saw — the tool
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. staff — a stick
  23. ground — the earth
  24. content — the amount

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