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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
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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 · staff · mine · content · press · mug · track · stem

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  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. press — to push
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. mug — a face
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. content — happy
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. stem — to come from
  9. mine — for digging
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. mug — to rob
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. track — a path
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. mug — a cup
  16. press — newspapers
  17. staff — a stick
  18. staff — employees
  19. press — a publisher
  20. track — to keep track
  21. track — a song
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. staff — employees
  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