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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: arm · pound · content · stem · track · stand · mate · kick

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. stem — to come from
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. track — a path
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. kick — in football
  9. content — the amount
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. mate — to breed
  14. mate — a friend
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. pound — a weight
  17. track — to keep track
  18. stand — to bear
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. track — a song
  21. content — happy
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. mate — a partner

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