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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: pass · bowl · date · bank · stem · chip · ground · wound

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. ground — the earth
  4. bank — for money
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. wound — an injury
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. wound — an injury
  10. date — the fruit
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. ground — crushed
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. chip — for betting
  17. ground — a position
  18. chip — to eat
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. stem — to come from
  21. bank — of a river
  22. pass — a permit
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. date — on the calendar

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