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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
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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: stem · pop · jam · court · object · bay · rock · key

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. pop — music
  3. court — for sport
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. key — in music
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. key — for a lock
  9. object — a thing
  10. object — to protest
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. pop — to visit
  14. key — the most important part
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. court — of law
  18. rock — music
  19. object — an aim
  20. pop — soda
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. rock — a stone
  23. stem — to come from
  24. court — of a king

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