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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 · fan · foot · mouse · pound · jam · craft · rock

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. craft — boats
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. rock — music
  6. rock — a stone
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. pound — a weight
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. stem — to come from
  19. foot — a measure
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. craft — a skill
  24. pound — to hit hard

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