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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: bear · jam · board · cell · stem · bowl · band · pop

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. pop — music
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. band — a music group
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. board — a committee
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. board — to get on
  11. cell — a phone
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bear — the animal
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. pop — soda
  17. stem — to come from
  18. cell — in biology
  19. pop — to visit
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. bear — the animal
  24. band — a ring

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