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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bank — for money
  3. stem — to come from
  4. key — in music
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. bank — of a river
  7. key — the most important part
  8. ground — crushed
  9. ground — a position
  10. land — ground
  11. key — for a lock
  12. rest — what's left
  13. land — a country
  14. stock — shares
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bass — low music
  18. stock — goods
  19. ground — the earth
  20. rest — a break
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bass — the fish
  23. land — to come down
  24. stem — of a plant

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