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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
468
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 · bass · foot · rash · jam · deal · content · trunk

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. rash — a series
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. bass — low music
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. content — happy
  11. stem — to come from
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. foot — a measure
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. content — the amount
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. bass — the fish
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. deal — to handle
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. rash — hasty
  24. jam — in traffic

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