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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: firm · straw · rock · bulb · ground · land · stand · bank

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. land — to come down
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — of a river
  5. ground — crushed
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. rock — music
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. bulb — for light
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. stand — to bear
  12. bank — for money
  13. land — a country
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. ground — the earth
  17. ground — a position
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. firm — steady
  20. firm — decided
  21. land — ground
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. bulb — for light
  24. firm — a company

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