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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: content · stick · tear · net · stem · leaves · ruler · pitch

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. content — happy
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. content — the amount
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. tear — from crying
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. tear — to rip
  15. net — for catching
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. stem — to come from
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. pitch — completely
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. net — after costs
  24. tear — from crying

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