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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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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: mug · stem · pop · jam · lean · sharp

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. mug — a face
  3. pop — soda
  4. pop — music
  5. stem — to come from
  6. mug — to rob
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. lean — to bend
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. sharp — clever
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. pop — to visit
  16. mug — a cup
  17. lean — thin
  18. jam — a tight spot

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