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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: jam · pop · net · fine · spring · ground · board · stem

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. fine — high quality
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. pop — music
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. stem — to come from
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. spring — of water
  11. spring — the season
  12. pop — soda
  13. pop — to visit
  14. net — in sport
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. spring — a coil
  17. ground — crushed
  18. net — for catching
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. fine — all right
  21. ground — a position
  22. net — after costs
  23. board — to get on
  24. board — a committee

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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