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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
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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: board · jam · stem · season · vault · band · bear · mark

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. season — in sport
  3. mark — a grade
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. bear — the animal
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. board — a committee
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. band — a music group
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. vault — a safe
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. mark — a trace
  17. band — a ring
  18. bear — the animal
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. stem — to come from
  22. board — to get on
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. stem — a stem cell

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