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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: pound · wake · cue · rash · board · jam · bear · stem

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. cue — a signal
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. board — a committee
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. bear — the animal
  12. board — to get on
  13. stem — to come from
  14. bear — the animal
  15. cue — for pool
  16. wake — a trail
  17. rash — a series
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. rash — hasty
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. cue — a hint
  24. pound — a weight

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