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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: cell · can · jam · pit · stem · band · perch · bear

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. pit — in a race
  6. cell — in biology
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. can — a tin
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. pit — a hole
  11. bear — the animal
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — to be able to
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. perch — the fish
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. stem — to come from
  20. bear — the animal
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. band — a ring
  24. band — a music group

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