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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. bank — for money
  7. cell — a phone
  8. sharp — clever
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bass — low music
  11. bank — of a river
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. chair — a leader
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. bank — for money
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. branch — a division
  22. cell — in biology
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. stem — a stem cell

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