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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: stem · land · bound · bank · leaves · track · foot · chip

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. bank — of a river
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. foot — a measure
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. bank — for money
  7. chip — to eat
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. stem — to come from
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. track — a path
  12. chip — for betting
  13. bound — obliged
  14. bound — tied together
  15. land — a country
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. land — to come down
  18. track — to keep track
  19. bank — for money
  20. track — a song
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. land — ground
  23. bound — certain
  24. leaves — to go away

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