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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: jam · squash · pop · stem · bulb · foot · branch · firm

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. firm — a company
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. firm — steady
  6. squash — the sport
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. squash — to crush
  9. stem — to come from
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. pop — to visit
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. branch — a division
  18. firm — decided
  19. pop — music
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — for light
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. foot — a measure
  24. pop — soda

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