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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  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. board — a flat piece
  2. bank — for money
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. board — a committee
  10. bank — for money
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. land — a country
  14. stem — to come from
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. board — to get on
  17. land — to come down
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. land — ground
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. date — the fruit
  23. date — on the calendar
  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