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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: straw · deal · bank · stem · rest · band · club · stock

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. rest — what's left
  3. deal — to handle
  4. bank — for money
  5. club — a group
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. stock — shares
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. band — a ring
  11. rest — a break
  12. club — for golf
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. stem — to come from
  16. rest — what's left
  17. band — a music group
  18. stock — goods
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. club — for dancing
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. bank — of a river
  23. bank — for money
  24. straw — dry grass

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