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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: coach · content · kick · jam · bear · pop · date · stem

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. pop — soda
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. stem — to come from
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. content — happy
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. content — the amount
  20. kick — in football
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. date — the fruit
  24. pop — music

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