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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pop · content · coach · stem · ruler · wake · press · bark

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. press — newspapers
  3. pop — soda
  4. press — a publisher
  5. press — to push
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. bark — to shout
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. content — the amount
  10. pop — to visit
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. content — happy
  20. stem — to come from
  21. wake — a trail
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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