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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 120 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: foot · bay · content · pitcher · ball · stem · lean · sharp

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. sharp — clever
  4. lean — to bend
  5. content — the amount
  6. stem — to come from
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. ball — a great time
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. content — happy
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. foot — a measure
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. ball — a dance
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. lean — thin
  24. pitcher — a jug

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