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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: date · stem · land · firm · board · deal · bank · ground

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. board — to get on
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. firm — a company
  8. land — to come down
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. board — a committee
  11. land — a country
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. ground — crushed
  14. ground — the earth
  15. land — ground
  16. date — the fruit
  17. bank — for money
  18. firm — steady
  19. deal — to handle
  20. bank — of a river
  21. ground — a position
  22. stem — to come from
  23. bank — for money
  24. deal — a big deal

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