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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 116 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: pitcher · fan · club · stem · lie · bank · mine · rush

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. stem — to come from
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. club — a group
  12. mine — for digging
  13. lie — to recline
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. rush — hurry
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. club — for golf
  20. bank — for money
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. bank — of a river
  23. club — for dancing
  24. rush — a thrill

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