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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: pound · scale · patient · stem · bank · date · pop · season

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. bank — for money
  3. scale — in music
  4. season — of the year
  5. pop — soda
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. bank — for money
  8. pop — to visit
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. pop — music
  13. scale — size or range
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. pound — a weight
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. bank — of a river
  20. season — in sport
  21. stem — to come from
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. date — the fruit

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