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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cell · mine · bear · bank · club · stick

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bear — the animal
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. bank — of a river
  8. bank — for money
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. club — for dancing
  11. cell — a phone
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. cell — in biology
  14. club — a group
  15. bank — for money
  16. mine — for digging
  17. bear — the animal
  18. cell — in a prison

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