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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: toast · stem · kid · pop · pound · bowl

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. kid — to tease
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. pop — soda
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. kid — child
  10. stem — to come from
  11. pop — to visit
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. pound — a weight
  15. pop — music
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. pound — for dogs

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