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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: snap · stem · mouse · firm · cold · pitcher · jam · pop

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pop — music
  5. cold — not warm
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. firm — steady
  8. firm — decided
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. pop — to visit
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. cold — an illness
  15. firm — a company
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. snap — to click
  20. pop — soda
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. stem — to come from

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