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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: net · pop · stem · content · plane · rush · band · ruler

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  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. stem — of a plant
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. rush — hurry
  4. stem — to come from
  5. band — a music group
  6. band — a ring
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. pop — music
  10. net — in sport
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. net — after costs
  13. content — happy
  14. pop — to visit
  15. pop — soda
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. net — for catching
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. plane — a tool
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. band — a rubber band
  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