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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. track — a path
  3. cell — in biology
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. bank — for money
  6. swing — to play on
  7. bank — for money
  8. bank — of a river
  9. swing — in golf
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. cell — a phone
  14. bark — to shout
  15. track — to keep track
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. track — a song
  19. pop — to visit
  20. pop — soda
  21. pop — music
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. swing — music
  24. bowl — to roll

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