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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: jam · roll · firm · track · pass · mate · stem · rule

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. mate — a partner
  3. firm — a company
  4. stem — to come from
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. rule — government
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. mate — to breed
  13. pass — a permit
  14. roll — a list
  15. firm — steady
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. track — a path
  18. firm — decided
  19. track — to keep track
  20. rule — a law
  21. track — a song
  22. roll — a cake
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. pass — to succeed

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