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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 116 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: stand · stem · content · bound · pop · plane · spell · club

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. bound — obliged
  3. content — happy
  4. pop — music
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. pop — to visit
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. spell — letters
  9. plane — a tool
  10. spell — magic
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. bound — tied together
  13. stem — to come from
  14. club — for dancing
  15. pop — soda
  16. bound — certain
  17. spell — a short time
  18. club — for golf
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. content — the amount
  21. stand — to bear
  22. club — a group
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. plane — in geometry

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