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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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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. cap — of ice
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. band — a music group
  6. bank — for money
  7. mug — a cup
  8. band — a ring
  9. mug — a face
  10. mug — to rob
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. cap — a lid
  13. cap — a hat
  14. bank — for money
  15. stem — to come from
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. mine — for digging
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. stock — shares
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. stock — goods
  24. bank — of a river

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