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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: land · stem · bank · tube · fan · squash · branch · bass

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. squash — the sport
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. land — to come down
  7. bass — the fish
  8. squash — to crush
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. land — ground
  13. stem — to come from
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. branch — a division
  17. land — a country
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. bass — low music
  20. tube — a container
  21. tube — the underground
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — of a river

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