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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 · pitcher · nail · bore · branch · ball · bank · land

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bank — for money
  3. stem — to come from
  4. land — to come down
  5. bore — to tire
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bank — for money
  8. ball — a great time
  9. bore — to drill
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. ball — a dance
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. branch — a division
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. land — ground
  22. bank — of a river
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. land — a country

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