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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. bank — for money
  3. present — there
  4. land — to come down
  5. land — a country
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. content — happy
  9. bank — of a river
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. rock — a stone
  13. bat — the animal
  14. bank — for money
  15. land — ground
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. present — a gift
  19. content — the amount
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. stem — to come from
  23. rock — music
  24. bowl — a dish

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