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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: track · bound · pop · jam · bowl · stem · bear · fall

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. fall — to drop
  4. track — a song
  5. pop — to visit
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. track — a path
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bound — tied together
  11. fall — the season
  12. bear — the animal
  13. stem — to come from
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. pop — music
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bound — certain
  22. pop — soda
  23. track — to keep track
  24. stem — of a plant

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