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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. stem — to come from
  3. firm — a company
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. bank — for money
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. firm — steady
  12. field — a subject
  13. field — farmland
  14. club — for golf
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. bank — of a river
  19. firm — decided
  20. field — for sport
  21. club — a group
  22. bank — for money
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. fork — in a road

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