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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: bass · branch · bank · can · object · clip · ball · stem

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. object — a thing
  4. clip — to cut
  5. stem — to come from
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bass — low music
  8. ball — a dance
  9. bank — for money
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. object — to protest
  12. bank — for money
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. can — a tin
  15. clip — a video
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. branch — a division
  18. can — to be able to
  19. object — an aim
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. can — a tin
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. bank — of a river
  24. ball — a great time

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