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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: jam · stem · squash · bear · net · pound · stock · ball

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. net — for catching
  3. stock — shares
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. pound — a weight
  7. bear — the animal
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. stock — goods
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. squash — to crush
  14. bear — the animal
  15. squash — the sport
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. ball — a great time
  19. net — in sport
  20. net — after costs
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. ball — a dance
  23. stem — to come from
  24. jam — a tight spot

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