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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: roll · staff · ball · stem · rash · ruler · land · content

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. land — ground
  5. land — a country
  6. rash — a series
  7. ball — a great time
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ball — a dance
  10. rash — hasty
  11. land — to come down
  12. roll — a list
  13. staff — employees
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. staff — a stick
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. content — the amount
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. content — happy
  22. stem — to come from
  23. roll — a cake
  24. rash — on the skin

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