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

Word bank: stem · suit · pound · bank · cold · racket

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. suit — to fit
  3. cold — an illness
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. suit — in cards
  6. cold — not warm
  7. suit — clothes
  8. pound — a weight
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. bank — of a river
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. bank — for money
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. bank — for money
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. pound — for dogs

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