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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 120 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 belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. club — a group
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. club — for dancing
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. bank — for money
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. cue — for pool
  11. snap — to click
  12. bank — of a river
  13. cue — a signal
  14. club — for golf
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. stem — to come from
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. pass — a permit
  21. cue — a hint
  22. fork — in a road
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. stem — a stem cell

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