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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: bear · stem · key · march · jam · content · dip · prune

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. march — music
  3. content — the amount
  4. dip — to sink
  5. stem — to come from
  6. content — happy
  7. march — the month
  8. bear — the animal
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bear — the animal
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. march — the month
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. key — the most important part
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. key — for a lock
  18. key — in music
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. prune — to trim
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. prune — to trim

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