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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · stem · bank · fork · bowl · track · clip · wake

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. bank — for money
  3. fork — in a road
  4. bank — for money
  5. clip — to cut
  6. track — to keep track
  7. track — a path
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. wake — a trail
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. clip — a video
  16. track — a song
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. stem — to come from
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. bank — of a river
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. stem — of a plant

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