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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. fork — in a road
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — of a river
  6. bank — for money
  7. hand — help
  8. mark — a grade
  9. court — for sport
  10. court — of a king
  11. swing — to play on
  12. mine — for digging
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. stem — to come from
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. swing — music
  18. mark — a trace
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. hand — in cards
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. court — of law
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. swing — in golf

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