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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: stem · lash · tube · court · content · bark · ruler · mark

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. bark — to shout
  6. content — happy
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. tube — a container
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. court — of law
  14. stem — to come from
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. mark — a grade
  19. tube — the underground
  20. court — for sport
  21. mark — a trace
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. content — the amount
  24. lash — an eyelash

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