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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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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 · patient · temple · jam · pound · stem · bowl · snap

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. stem — to come from
  4. pound — a weight
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. snap — to click
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. board — a committee
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. board — to get on
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. board — a flat piece

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