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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. bank — for money
  4. fork — in a road
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. game — wild animals
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. game — a match
  11. club — for golf
  12. stem — to come from
  13. club — a group
  14. bear — the animal
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. cell — a phone
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. bear — the animal
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. club — for dancing
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. bank — for money
  24. cell — in biology

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