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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: kid · bank · stem · fine · roll · chip · mouse · bass

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. bass — low music
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bank — for money
  5. fine — high quality
  6. bank — for money
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. chip — for betting
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. chip — to eat
  11. kid — to tease
  12. fine — all right
  13. stem — to come from
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. bank — of a river
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. kid — child
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. roll — a list
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. mouse — the animal

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