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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: field · spring · stem · ruler · deal · roll · content · capital

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. capital — money
  4. content — the amount
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. roll — a list
  7. spring — a coil
  8. capital — a city
  9. spring — the season
  10. spring — of water
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. roll — a cake
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. field — a subject
  17. field — farmland
  18. deal — to handle
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. field — for sport
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. stem — to come from
  23. content — happy
  24. ruler — a monarch

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