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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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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 · cell · band · kick · stem · rock · jam · stock

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. band — a ring
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. cell — in biology
  7. rock — music
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. rock — a stone
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. stock — goods
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. stem — to come from
  14. kick — in football
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. band — a music group
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. cell — a phone
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. stock — shares
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. band — a rubber band

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