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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
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: stem · calf · pop · cell · track · rock · content · dip

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. content — the amount
  3. track — a path
  4. rock — a stone
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. cell — in biology
  7. pop — to visit
  8. cell — a phone
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. content — happy
  11. pop — soda
  12. rock — music
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. track — a song
  17. dip — to sink
  18. track — to keep track
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. pop — music
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. stem — of a plant

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