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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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468
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: rock · can · mate · racket · fall · content · bass · stem

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. mate — to breed
  3. content — the amount
  4. fall — to drop
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. mate — a friend
  7. rock — music
  8. stem — to come from
  9. fall — the season
  10. bass — low music
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. can — a tin
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. rock — a stone
  16. can — a tin
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. can — to be able to
  19. bass — the fish
  20. content — happy
  21. fall — to drop
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. mate — a partner

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