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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 · patient · content · chip · prune · bay · bowl · bank

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. stem — to come from
  3. bank — of a river
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bank — for money
  6. prune — to trim
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. chip — for betting
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. content — happy
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. prune — to trim
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bank — for money
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. content — the amount
  24. bowl — a football final

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