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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: stem · net · staff · wound · content · safe · fork · cap

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. cap — a lid
  4. content — the amount
  5. cap — a hat
  6. net — after costs
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. content — happy
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. wound — an injury
  11. stem — to come from
  12. net — in sport
  13. staff — employees
  14. staff — employees
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. fork — in a road
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. cap — of ice
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. wound — an injury
  23. staff — a stick
  24. net — for catching

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