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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: ruler · content · stock · stem · date · saw · bark · rash

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. content — happy
  7. content — the amount
  8. stem — to come from
  9. rash — a series
  10. date — the fruit
  11. saw — the tool
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. bark — to shout
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. stock — goods
  17. rash — hasty
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. ruler — for measuring

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