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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: pop · mug · stem · spring · bass · bowl · prune · jam

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. spring — a coil
  6. bass — the fish
  7. spring — the season
  8. bass — low music
  9. mug — a cup
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. prune — to trim
  16. spring — of water
  17. stem — to come from
  18. mug — to rob
  19. prune — to trim
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. mug — a face
  22. pop — soda
  23. pop — to visit
  24. prune — the fruit

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