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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: rule · stem · degree · pitcher · content · rock · bound · pit

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. content — happy
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. degree — from a university
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. degree — temperature
  7. rock — music
  8. bound — obliged
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. content — the amount
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. bound — tied together
  13. rock — a stone
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. degree — an amount
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. bound — certain
  19. rule — government
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. stem — to come from
  22. rule — a law
  23. pit — in a race
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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