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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bank · arm · vault · pitcher · bark · stem · land · staff

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. bank — for money
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. bark — to shout
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. bank — of a river
  11. staff — employees
  12. vault — a safe
  13. stem — to come from
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. staff — a stick
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. staff — employees
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. land — a country
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. land — to come down
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bank — for money

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