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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: wake · arm · bank · club · saw · root · land · stock

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. bank — of a river
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. club — for golf
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. bank — for money
  8. saw — the tool
  9. root — of a word
  10. land — to come down
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. land — ground
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. bank — for money
  16. stock — shares
  17. root — the cause
  18. stock — goods
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. land — a country
  21. wake — a trail
  22. root — of a plant
  23. club — for dancing
  24. club — a group

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