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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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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 · jam · march · court · pound · bay

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. march — music
  7. stem — to come from
  8. court — of a king
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. march — the month
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. court — for sport
  14. court — of law
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. pound — a weight
  18. march — the month

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