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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: content · sharp · game · toast · mine · current · stem · foot

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. sharp — clever
  12. content — happy
  13. game — wild animals
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. current — of water
  16. stem — to come from
  17. foot — a measure
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. toast — bread
  20. mine — for digging
  21. current — electric
  22. content — the amount
  23. game — a match
  24. current — happening now

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